


Sakura Oath

by CandyAshes



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Multi, sequel fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 13:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 121,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4264830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandyAshes/pseuds/CandyAshes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More than a year after the Krei Tech incident, Hiro and his friends struggle to find balance in their lives, as the increasing burden of being a superhero gets in the way of their relationships with their studies, part-time jobs, and family. Then comes along a new villain, the leader of a mysterious organization called “Shiragiku”, who has nefarious plans for San Fransokyo. And in the midst of it all, Hiro is rethinking of his promise to his late brother...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The karate dojo was quiet that afternoon, missing the sounds of students sparring one another and their sensei loudly instructing the proper ways to land a blow.

It would have been nearly empty if it weren’t for two brothers who were using it to practice martial arts on each other.

Twelve-year-old Hiro, a young genius who has one more year to finish high school, is staring intensely at his older brother Tadashi. The two faced each other and bowed. Their fight now begins.

Slowly breathing through his nose, Hiro concentrated harder while he danced in a circle. Tadashi did the same, going into defense mode.

Hiro made his first move; he shot his hand forward but Tadashi blocked it.

“Too slow,” he told his younger brother.

Hiro immediately drew back and tried again. He let his fists and kicks fly recklessly while Tadashi casually block and dodge them. He didn’t even break a sweat and he was grinning much to Hiro’s mild irritation. Hiro tried to move as fast to counter Tadashi’s moves and he made no further progress attempting to strike him down.

He decided it’s time use his ultimate move which he had been practicing in secret. With a battle cry, Hiro spins into the air and performs a downward kick. Tadashi quickly backed away before he gets hit and Hiro landed on the spot where Tadashi once stood. Silently cursing his badly, Hiro swung a knife hand but his brother avoided it and sent a hook kick, knocking the younger boy to the floor.

Hiro is beaten. No matter how many times the brothers fought, Tadashi always proves that he’s still the boss.

“I win again,” Tadashi smirked. “This is my… I lost count… thirty-seventh winning?”

“Shut up,” Hiro groaned as he sat on the floor. His flying kick move put too much strain on his leg and he is now rubbing the sore pain.

Tadashi kneeled down, his eyebrows scrunched in concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Hiro said, nodding. “It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

“What was THAT move you tried to hit me with earlier?” Tadashi asked. He scratched his head, now amused. “It doesn’t seem very practical for self-defense.”

“Who says it’s for self-defense? I did it because it’s cool,” Hiro said.

“You watch too many movies.”

Tadashi helped his brother up and then offered him a water bottle from his messenger bag that was sitting nearby. Hiro gulped half of it down his dry throat.

“Your strikes and defense need more polishing,” Tadashi said. “And don’t dance around so much, you’re still lacking discipline.”

“Gimme another round,” Hiro demanded. His face is shining with sweat and he’s breathing heavily.

“Maybe some other time, little bro.”

Tadashi looked over the clock and saw it was getting late. He needed to get home and get to work on his homework. He’s interested studying at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, or SFIT, after he graduates high school, and he needed to get high grades to get into the prestigious university. He wanted to pursue a major in robotics which had been his dream ever since he was a young boy.

Both he and Hiro are brilliant inventors who loved to build things, though both of them have different views on using their gifts. Still, the two brothers enjoyed inventing together; after their parents died when they were both very small, the two became close friends and consider each other the only ones left of their family. Sure they have their Aunt Cass to take care of them, but Hiro and Tadashi’s bond is what prevents them from feeling sad and lonely.

Hiro pursed his lips. He’s resentful that his brother wants to leave, especially distancing himself so he can be more absorbed in his studies.

“Just one more round,” he begged again.

“No, Hiro,” Tadashi shook his head. "We need to get home. You got a lot of homework to catch up as well." He started to head towards the bathroom when he heard Hiro beginning to whine.

_“Nii-san.”_

Tadashi stopped in his tracks and he turned to look at his brother. His lips formed into a small smile.

“Aww… I haven’t heard you call me that since we were kids,” he said.

Tadashi remembered fondly how he tried to teach Hiro speak Japanese like what his dad did to him so he can talk to his grandparents. Hiro could only get a few basic words before giving up. However, he got attached to the word “nii-san” which he used to address Tadashi when he was little in case he needs something from him but Hiro also stopped saying it… until now.

“Alright, one more round,” he sighed, shaking his head.

He and Hiro bowed again and they moved to their stances. Before Hiro can attack, Tadashi dashed forward and made a low sweep towards Hiro’s leg. Hiro thought Tadashi was going to trip him, but he pulled a fast one—it was actually a feint. In one fast moment, Tadashi used his same foot to trick Hiro that was going to sweep his legs only to switch it into a roundhouse kick to Hiro’s head.

Hiro fell flat on the floor, is face burning with humiliating defeat.

“Duuuude! That was a dirty trick!” Hiro moaned.

“It’s all a matter of fooling the enemy and letting their guard down,” Tadashi cheekily told Hiro. “And that’s a combo trick you should try practicing.”

“I’ll kick your butt!” Hiro proclaimed in childish anger.

“Eh, you’re a hundred years too early to defeat me,” Tadashi snorted.

Hiro stuck his tongue out his big brother. Next time, he won’t lose to him again...


	2. Blast Off Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big Hero 6 prevent a bank robbery and they battle with an old foe.

**Chapter 1**

Three years passed over at the city of San Fransokyo, a futuristic hybrid of artistic and technological architecture and a blend of both Japanese and Western culture. On many evenings, the bright skyscraper lights and colorful neon from many shops softened the dark night sky, giving the bustling city an inviting glow. This city is home to technology giants such as Krei Tech and San Fransokyo Institute of Technology (SFIT). It was also the home of a group of superheroes known as Big Hero 6.

Hiro Hamada, now fifteen-years-old, hangs on tight on top of Baymax the robot’s back as the two zoomed through the city. Catching up to him are his teammates Gogo, Wasabi, Honey, and Fred. The six of them make up the official members of their group and each of them wear colorful costumes and equipped with high-tech weapons provided by Hiro.

Hiro first met Baymax and his four friends over a year ago when his older brother Tadashi introduced them to him on his first visit to SFIT. After Tadashi in a tragic fire incident started by Professor Callaghan in the process of stealing Hiro’s microbot invention, Baymax—who happens to be a medical caregiver robot created by Tadashi—and his friends were there by his side and helped Hiro find justice and overcome his grief.

Hiro was so thankful that he has Baymax and his friends to and help him fulfill Tadashi’s dream of helping people. They’re going to use their superhero skills to protect and assist the people of San Fransokyo from crime and disasters.

It just so happens on this night that they received report that that there’s a bank robbery down town. When Big Hero 6 finally arrived at the scene, they saw a huge hole on the wall of a large bank that looked it had been blasted away.

A gold-and-black, gigantic figure walked out of the bank through the hole, carrying two large sacks filled with money. It looked like a giant, deadly battlebot. It was almost twice bigger than Baymax. Hiro knew immediately recognized the design of the robot and its symbol painted on its body.

“Nice of you to show up, Zero and company,” a familiar voice boomed from the robot.

“Drop them, Yama!” Hiro ordered as his team stand firmly on the streets, facing their enemy.

The mask of the battlebot suit opened up to reveal a video of Yama’s large face. It appears Yama is controlling the robot from a hidden location.

A long time ago, Hiro defeated Yama in a botfighting ring and the sumo wrestler-sized man soon sought revenge against the young genius. Recently, he and his gang were causing trouble for the city by controlling big version of battlebots and programming them go on random rampages. Hiro did not know where Yama got the tech to create such machines but he and his friends were able to successfully defeat so many of his members and destroy their bots yet they could never apprehend Yama, since they could never find him or he manages to slip away from their fingers.

“What if I say no?” Yama sneered, his eyes glint haughtily.

“Then we’ll take those bags by force,” Hiro replied. “I bet you missed spending time behind bars.”

“I’m not going back to jail!” Then the mask closed down on the video with a snap. He dropped the money bags and went into fighting mode. “You have no chance of defeating my upgraded bot champion.”

“Mister Yama, we fought your robots before,” Honey said. “How will this one be any different?”

“Because this time, I will win! After your defeat, Zero, you will leave this city in shame, and everyone will know that Yama is the greatest botfighter in all of San Fransokyo!” Yama declared as the robot’s buzzsaw hand activated.

“Please, I could beat your Little Yama with my eyes closed,” Gogo scoffed.

“No. Not this isn’t Little Yama… _This is_ **_BIG YAMA!_** ” he laughed as the robot approached menacingly at the group. “Enhanced using the best technology given to Yama for his services. Big Yama will crush your bones like sticks!”

“Look, I don’t care for your overcompensating robot,” Hiro interrupted him. “I want to know who’s providing you the parts to build it. I know you’re not that smart.” He wanted to add that he finds Yama’s nickname for his colossal robot ridiculous but he decided to save it for later.

“Like I’d reveal anything to a little cheater who hustled me!”

“Wow, what a sore loser,” Wasabi commented. “Yama, have you considered seeking professional health…?”

Big Yama charged towards them. The team dispersed and the battlebot crashed into another building opposite from the bank.

“Come on, guys, focus!” Hiro cried. He leaned his head close to Baymax so he can talk to him. “Baymax, can you scan to see if there are any weak spots on that robot?”

Baymax did as he was told.

“There’s several located on the back, shoulders, and joints,” he answered. “They are not as solid compared to the rest of the body though they would need some weakening first.”

Hiro turned to his friends, quickly giving them their instructions. “Here’s the plan… Big Yama may start off slow, but it becomes faster and deals heavier damage the more it keeps moving. The good thing is that it can slow down so it can charge up its energy. But only a brief moment. That’s where you use your chem-balls, Honey.”

“Got it!” Honey rapidly start pressing the chemistry symbols on her purse.

“Gogo will distract him from a distance, and Fred will use his fire attacks to superheat the armor until they’re brittle. When Big Yama gets weakened enough…. Wasabi, Baymax and I will strike him down!”

“Let’s do this, amigos!” Fred roared as he released a burst of flames from his kaiju suit.

Before the team can act, a flying projectile came out of the blue and exploded near where they were standing. Everyone was thrown backwards, disoriented from the surprise attack.

“Where did that come from?” Hiro shouted after the smoke from the explosion cleared.

“It came from them,” Baymax calmly answered, pointing a finger up into the sky.

Everyone looked up to see two men hovering in the air, supported by rocket jetpacks they’re wearing on their backs. They’re both wearing dark brown suits with protection elbow and knee pads, and goggles covering their eyes. One of them is carrying a rocket launcher.

“It’s the Banzai Brothers!” Hiro gasped.

The two men he identified are an infamous rocket-powered duo who loved to blow things up for both personal amusement and monetary gain. Hiro was surprised to see them working with Yama because the two men don’t usually work with anyone.

“Awwww, I missed them, bro,” the one carrying the weapon slurred. He is Komeiji.

“That’s because your aim sucks if you drink before the job,” his partner grumbled, biting on his cigarette. His name is Dominguez.  “And we were supposed to keep their annoying mascot alive.”

“Who are you calling a mascot?!” Fred shouted, clearly offended by that remark even though he actually is a school mascot.

“Freddie, look out!” Honey screamed.

Fred looked around just in time to see Big Yama swinging one of its heavy hands at him. It smacked him away easily like a ragdoll. Fred fell to the side, groaning in pain.

“Ow, that hurts!” he howled.

The other members tried to assist Fred but they were stopped by a blast of a rocket from the Banzai Brothers. Big Yama then jumped up and landed on the ground, causing the earth to shake and the superheroes lost their footing. 

Hiro realized the Banzai Brothers needed to be stopped if they’re ever going to take down the battlebot.

“Hey, why don’t you pick on somebody who can fly like you?” Hiro angrily shouted at the duo as he hang on to Baymax, who is now suspended in air with them. With Hiro’s instructions, Baymax zoomed off.

“Let’s go after them, bro!” Komeiji yelled.

“Hang on, we’re not allowed to touch that brat! Boss’ orders!” Dominguez reminded him.

“But, brrooo! I wanna blow up the robot!”

Dominguez paused. He then rolled his eyes and took out his own rocket launcher. “You know what? Fine. You take care of the robot, I’ll deal with the others,” he said.

“Yaaaay!” Komeiji grinned with glee as he flies away.

Dominguez was then struck by a maglev disc came out of nowhere. He flinched backwards, still suspended in the air, and turned to glare at Gogo.

“Why don’t you deal with me?” she snapped at him before zipping off on her wheels. Snarling, Domingquez flew after her. He fired rockets but she dodged them with her incredible speed.

Big Yama reappeared, shaking the cement debris from its body. Wasabi, Honey, and Fred looked at each other.

“What do we now?” Wasabi asked nervously.

“We stick to the plan!” Honey answered.

The robot began chasing the three, gaining speed and smashing up the street and other obstacles its path.

* * *

Unbeknownst to everyone, a small round robot rolled into the scene and hid from plain sight. It resembled a blue daruma with a crescent moon symbol on its body. It opened its tiny hyperspectral cameras and began recording. On the roof of a nearby building and from a safe distance, two high school level kids were livestreaming the battle on a laptop.

“This is so cool!” A confident-looking girl named Mirin exclaimed, her eyes glued to screen. “It’s a good thing we were nearby when that giant robot appeared.”

A frail-looking boy around Mirin’s age coughed.

“At least we can watch Big Hero 6 in action without getting in their way,” he said quietly. “I hope nothing bad happens to Luna.” He was referring to his darumabot. He tried to adjust the camera filters on his laptop. The screen remained hazy. “This is the best quality I can get, there’s a lot of interferences.”

“Ugh, you should also fix the sound quality, I can barely hear them!” Mirin pouted, biting her lap.

* * *

Back to the battle, Big Yama kept tossing and destroying things in its path with its buzzsaw weapon. After gaining some distance, Fred blew a blast of smoke to obscure the robot’s vision.

Yama appeared again on the video screen of his robot’s face.

“You think a little smoke screen can stop Yama?” he growled. A ball made of acid splat into the video, melting the screen much to Yama’s fury.

Honey used this chance to toss her chem-balls at its metallic legs. Pink, sticky concoctions burst upon impact, foam hardening to slow down the robot’s movements.

When Big Yama was finally came to a halt, Fred jumped around and blew fire at the armor. Steam begin to rise from its body.

“Looks like you’re in a sticky situation,” Wasabi smirked.

His gauntlets released his plasma laser blades. He leaped into the air like an athlete and sliced apart the robot’s armor.

* * *

Mirin is watching the scene and she’s cheering loudly in Yasuo’s ear.

“Look at him go!” she squealed. She was shaking Yasuo’s shoulder in excitement. “Are you seeing this, Yasuo?!”

“I am, I am!” Yasuo said.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Banzai Brother Dominguez keeps trying to blast Gogo away while he's flying above the street.

“Stay still, you little coward!” he shouted.

He then shot several grenades at a good distance. Gogo avoided each explosions, maneuvering between them.

Gogo zips up against a wall of the building, leaps into the air and kicks a disc off from her foot. The disc flew straight into Dominguez and hit his jetpack. It began to go haywire and Dominguez tried to take control while he flies off.

“I’ll get you next time, Big Hero 6!” he promised.

“There won’t be a next time!” Gogo shouted and threw another disc. It struck his head and he crashed into a dumpster.

As for the other Banzai Brother Komeiji, looked around for Hiro and Baymax until he saw the two of them now flying in the air with him.

“Baymax, Rocket Fist!” Hiro shouted an order.

Baymax shot his signature fist at the man but he dodged it away in time thanks to his jetpack. He snorted incredulously at the two superheroes.

“You call that a rocket?” He pointed his rocket launcher them. “THIS is a rocket!”

“Go, Baymax!” Hiro shouted. Baymax flew straight towards Komeiji.

The bomber launched the projectile and the nursebot managed to punch the rocket, sending it flying upwards into the sky before it exploded. Komeiji was rendered speechless. But before he can fire another rocket, Hiro held out his hand. His upgraded electromagnetic glove pulled Komeiji towards him like gravity and Baymax managed to catch the criminal in his hands.

“Awww, rats!” he groaned.

* * *

Several minutes later, the police arrived and arrested the Banzai Brothers. A crowd of civilians gathered to see their favorite protectors once again saved their city from a rampaging robot and a couple of bombers.

“Thanks again, Big Hero 6!” a police officer shook the leader’s hand. He and the other officers could not see the boy and his teammates’ faces since they were covered by dark visors, preventing their true identities from being found out.

“No problem!” Hiro nodded.

“We’re sorry about the damage,” Honey apologized, glancing at the destruction in the street.

“Most of it was Big Yama’s fault,” Fred spoke up.

“I don’t care whose fault is it,” a female police officer snapped as she walked up to the group. “You’re all still involved with this mess, and we’re the ones who has to clean up after you.”

“That’s enough, Park,” warned the same policeman who shook Hiro’s hand.

Mirin managed to free herself from the excited crowed and hurried towards the superheroes, pulling her reluctant friend Yasuo along. Wasabi saw her and he quickly hid behind Baymax for some odd reason. Gogo noticed this.

“Can I have your autograph?” she asked, panting heavily. Her eyes were star-struck while Yasuo shyly looked away from the heroes. “Actually two? One for me and my friend? We’re both big fans of you guys!”

“Huh?” Yasuo perked up. “N-no, I’m good…”

Honey smiled at both kids and began writing on a notebook Mirin is carrying with her. She wrote “Big Hero 6 Never Gives Up” in big curvy letters.

“Hope you like it, sweeties~” she said, giving back the notebook.

While Mirin tried to ask for more autographs from the other members, Hiro walked over to the pile of the battlebot’s remains. He wished Tadashi was alive to see how much they’ve accomplished. Hiro felt a small twinge of sadness weighing down his heart; what happened to his brother cannot be helped. While he still has regrets for not doing something to stop him in time, Hiro knows he’s doing the right thing that would make his big brother proud.

He sighed thinking that team still need to find Yama and catch once and for all. He doesn’t know why Yama is committing random crimes or how he managed to build super-powerful robots, but Hiro knows that he bears a grudge against him and wants to prove he’s a better botfighter than the boy genius.

Hiro snorted at the thought. _Guy names his bots after him_. _And they’re as thick as his skull._

Something caught his eye and it lying on the ground near broken robotic parts. It looked small and flat. Hiro picked it up and saw it was a brass coin with a white chrysanthemum engraved on one side.

He wondered where it came from before he decided to pocket it as a souvenir. He returned to his friends who are all waiting for him.

“Okay, team! Move out!” he ordered.

“Wait, I wanna take a picture of you guys!” Mirin took out her camera. Then she pushed Yasuo forward until he’s standing right next to Hiro. “Smile, Yasuo!”

“Huh?!” Hiro blinked.

“M-Mirin, please!” Yasuo blushed realizing how close he is standing to the purple-clad leader.

“Come on, my big brother won’t believe me that I met you guys,” Mirin said. Wasabi hid further behind Baymax much to Gogo’s amusement.

* * *

Somewhere in the distance, hidden in the shadows under a billboard. A woman clad in geisha-esque attire and make-up is observing the superheroes. She is wearing an eyepatch and her hair is tied up in a fancy bun. Her name is Yuriko Fujita and she was known to be the referee and ringleader of several illegal botfighting rings. She also has another reputation in the criminal underworld.

She heard her cellphone ringing and she picked it up.

“Hello?” she spoke.

 _“I’ve got what I wanted,”_ she heard a male voice speaking from the other end. _“How are the Banzai Brothers?”_

“They’ve just been arrested,” she told him as she watched the police cars drove off with them. “Just as the boss planned.”

_“And Yama’s robot?”_

“Destroyed.”

_“That’s unfortunate, but he will get a better one. Something much more suitable for his taste. Our men did great tonight.”_

Fujita chuckled darkly. “When do we start Phase 2?”

_“Soon.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((So like I said in the prologue, There's gonna be some OCs featured in this story as well as deleted BH6 villains (like the Fujitas, etc). If you notice, a couple of characters who I introduced in my other fic "There Are (no) Dead Ends" are here in this story.))


	3. Philosology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and his friends struggled with their normal lives that makes their roles as superheroes looked easy.

**Chapter 2**

While Baymax is left behind at the Lucky Cat café to assit Aunt Cass, Hiro and his friends came to SFIT the next day. Their muscles were stiff and sore, and their eyes heavy from fatigue.

“I though skipping classes yesterday would help us recover better,” Wasabi groaned as he slung his heavy school bag over his shoulders.

“My legs were still sore when we took on Big Yama and the Banzai Brothers,” Gogo muttered as she walked, rather weakly, straight to her classes.

“I almost didn’t wake up this morning,” Honey yawned. Her pink spectacles were sitting crooked at on her nose and she didn’t seem to notice it.

Fred collapsed on his usual dirty couch. “I got practices later at the gym… maybe I can catch a few Z’s before then.” He then crawled inside his kaiju mascot suit and began to snore.

Hiro, however, was still filled with renewed energy that he already can’t wait for another patrol later tonight. After he came home last night, he’s been building something new for his friends that would adapt them better in combat. He couldn’t wait to show them once the group meet up at Fred’s estate.

* * *

Hiro strolled into his robotics engineering classroom as the new teacher Professor Martin Lebur has just started the roll call. A tiny man, with a chevron mustache and hair resembles a dark dirty mop, had filled in the position after Callaghan faked his death and went to prison a year ago. Hiro remembered on the first day Lebur started teaching the class, he knew the teacher didn’t like him and was jealousy of Hiro’s brains and gift.

“Welcome back to school. Hiro Hamada. You’re late,” the teacher said, narrowing his stern eyes at the boy.

“Um, no?” Hiro raised his eyebrow. “I just arrived on time right after the bell ended ringing. Your watch must been set too fast.”

“Well, since you’re still the last student to arrive in my class, you get to answer my first questions on yesterday’s lesson,” Professor Lebur said with a dirty glint in his eye. Unknown to his students, he’s plotting to humiliate the young genius.

“Wait, I wasn’t in class yesterday,” Hiro protested.

“It doesn’t matter if you had read my syllabus about which lessons we’re covering this week. Surely you can handle a few questions?”

Hiro smirked as he casually flopped onto his seat. “Hit me with your best shot, Professor”

“What popular appliance is considered to be a robot and a non-robot at the same time?” the teacher asked.

“That would be the computer,” Hiro answered easily.

Professor Lebur picked another question. “What are the two components of a mechanical manipulator?”

“The manipulator of an industrial robot is made up of a sequence of links and joints,” Hiro replied without missing a beat. His classmates are watching him with awe much to Professor Lebur’s annoyance. “The links are rigid members connecting the joints. The joints, also called “axes”, are the movable components of the robot that enable one link to move relative to another.”

 _Brat,_ Lebur thought enviously. _Just because you’re younger and smarter than everyone in this class doesn’t make you better than anyone. Time to put you in your place…_

“Which nation uses the greatest number of robots in manufacturing?” Lebur suddenly asked.

Hiro’s eyebrows couldn’t have raised any higher. “… Japan,” he said in an obvious tone.

“Ah yes,” Professor Lebur nodded slowly. “The Japanese people sure have had a long-time love affair with robots. According to some experts, the robots help fill the gap created by Japan's declining birthrate and shrinking workforce. Takes one Japanese boy to know about how robotics work, huh?”

Several students snickered and Hiro tensed with mild discomfort. He bit back a snappy remark since he knows it would give the teacher the satisfaction.

“Speaking of robotics,” Lebur continued and he began writing a date on the whiteboard. “In two weeks, SFIT will be holding a trade show at the new exhibition hall. This is rather special since Dr. Daichi Ishioka of Ishioka Industries will be coming to showcase and demonstrate his latest robot invention.”

The entire class burst into curious and excited mutters. Even Hiro was fairly interested since the name Ishioka sounded familiar to him.

“However, because this is a privat event, the school only permits special students with certain credentials to visit.” Lebur reminded them. Then he added in a sour note, “And it just so happens Hiro Hamada is invited.”

“Wow, aren’t you lucky!” a student exclaimed, looking at Hiro enviously.

“Ishioka was the one who recently released the cyber-glasses last month,” another student said. “They’re selling like hotcakes!”

“Bah, that’s some gimmick for teenagers and hipsters,” Lebur rolled his eyes.

Hiro tried to find his words but his mind was racing. He couldn’t believe he’s been invited to see and meet a robotics scientist of. From what he learned, Ishioka Industries use state-of-the-art technology and innovative ideas to create all kinds of robots and other inventions; producing over one hundred industrial robot workers on a daily basis to manufacturing advanced weapon and defense technologies. Hiro knew most people would give their right arm to work with Dr. Ishioka.

Hiro recognized Ishioka’s name when he first heard it in a newspaper a few months ago. It was mentioned that Alistair Krei sold a controlling interest in Krei Tech to Ishioka in order to save his company from bankruptcy after Professor Callaghan’s destructive damage to it. He was glad Krei’s life wasn’t completely ruined like Callaghan wanted and the CEO even rebuild the new exhibition hall—when the original was burned down thanks to Callaghan—and named after Hiro’s late brother.

Melancholy filled Hiro as he began to think of the Tadashi Hamada Exhibition Hall where Ishioka’s showcase will take place. He was so happy that a building is made to honor Tadashi’s memory though a part of him is sad that he wished his brother is alive to see it built. Whenever he walked past that building, Hiro tried not to think of how that new building is the same place where Tadashi died a senseless sacrifice to save a teacher.

Hiro knew Tadashi would want him to continue moving on a new life without him and put his talents to good use. Hiro had promised his brother that he will change the world for him.

“Listen, Hamada,” Professor Lebur began. “Dr. Ishioka is the grandson of Ito Ishioka, a well-known scientist whom this robotics lab is named after. He also happens to be one of the benefactors of the school who generously donates money to fund our science labs, so show him a little respect.”

“Hey, I’ll be on my best behavior,” Hiro grinned.

Lebur narrowed his eyes in suspicion for a moment before continuing speaking to the whole class.

“Ishioka even developed the modern AI development in robotics,” he stated, casually glancing away from Hiro. “However, I usually prefer the tech invented by Robert Callaghan since Ishioka is a bit too diversified for my taste.”

Hiro grew silent. At the mention of the former robotics professor’s name, his blood turned to ice and he was immediately plagued with memories of that cruel man who tried to kill Hiro and his friends in the past. Hiro did his best to show Callaghan mercy and even saved his lost daughter; however, Hiro still couldn’t bring himself to forgive that wretched man since he was responsible for what happened to Tadashi.

 ** _“That was his mistake,”_** Callaghan’s callous words still rung in Hiro’s ears.

Even after Professor Callaghan was apprehended for his crimes, Hiro couldn’t believe how much a lot of people sympathized with him, including Lebur, and demanded for his early release from prison since he had a reputation as a kindly scientist and his stint as criminal was seen as “tragic”. Hiro didn’t know whether to be disgusted or saddened by this.

“What’s the matter, Hamada?” Lebur asked with malice. “Did I say something to offend you?”

“No…” Hiro said stiffly, snapping back into reality.

He quickly takes out his textbook and held it up so the teacher wouldn’t see his face.

However, Lebur wasn’t done with him. “I don’t like your attitude, young man,” he stated. “In fact, I expected better from Tadashi Hamada’s little brother.”

 _What do **you** know about my brother?_ Hiro wanted to shout at him but he bit his tongue.

“I already answered your questions,” Hiro said as calmly as he can. His hands, however, clutched tighter to the book. He has an itch to throw it at Lebur’s face and arranged his nose out of shape.

“Not yet, I have one last question for you,” he said, crossing his arms in a smug manner. “If you don’t get this, then I’ll give a pop quiz to everybody in class.”

Every student made a cry of protest but Lebur silenced them.

“In my class, I demand order and respect!” he barked. “If you can’t learn to be serious and respect authority, how are you going to get along outside the world? If you don’t want to get an education, you shouldn’t have applied here at SFIT. We don’t tolerate lazy people who take the easy way.”

Lebur turn to Hiro again and his lips formed a crooked smirk. He cleared his throat and began his final question.

“In terms of robotics, what are the differences between odometry and dead-reckoning?” he asked

A student raised a hand. “Um, Professor… We haven’t covered that yet.”

“Do you want to answer for Mister Hamada?” Lebur suggested dangerously. The student realized he made a mistake for interrupting and shrank back into his seat.

“Odometry use wheel sensors to update position, while dead reckoning use wheel sensors and heading sensor to update position,” Hiro replied nonchalantly. Then he added, “Also… Dead reckoning systems are based on estimating position relative to sensors. These sensors can be accelerometers, gyroscopes, infrared sensors, and camera which have to place on body of a robot. So we can calculate displacement or coordinates. Odometry is a sub topic of dead reckoning and based on wheel displacement calculations.”

Lebur was speechless and his eye twitched.

“Whoa!” the whole classed exclaimed.

“That’s incredible for someone who entered college at such a young age!” complimented a student.

Lebur is now steaming in silence. He clutched his teeth and opened his textbook.

“Well, since someone managed to answer a pretty hard question, then I guess it’s alright for me to start making the tests more difficult so the other students can study harder,” he announced.

The whole class burst into outraged murmurs. Lebur ignored them and he cast a vile superior glance towards Hiro, who can only stare at him in shock.

“And you have Hiro Hamada to thank.”

* * *

Somewhere in another class at SFIT, Honey sat anxiously in her seat as thermodynamics teacher Professor Aquino began returning the test papers he corrected last week. She glanced over to see Gogo, sitting on the far end of the room and has been staring out the window with her head resting on her palm. She wondered if Gogo is thinking about how well she did on the test. Honey had asked Gogo about her test results she received from the materials science class they went together the other day, and Gogo indifferently replied she got “high marks as usual” which pleased Honey.

“I’m giving you back your test papers,” Professor Aquino announced as he went around the room, handing out papers to each respective student. “I have to say I’m quite disappointed that most of you didn’t do so well.”

Honey began to sweat nervously. Did she fail in her test? She did put enough time into studying while juggling her superhero duties. However, there were some circumstances back at her home that may have prevented her from focusing fully on her studies…

When Aquino gave Honey her paper, Honey immediately scanned and saw she passed with an above-average score. She sighed with relief. She looked back at Gogo’s direction; her friend just glanced at her test paper briefly before putting it away, her expression remained unchanged.

When class ended, Honey went over to Gogo’s desk.

“How did you do on the test?” she asked breathily. “It was really hard, don’t ya think?”

“High marks as usual,” Gogo answered. She popped a bubblegum.

“I’m so glad to hear that, Gogo!” Honey said as she and Gogo leave for their next class. “I made a few mistakes at some parts, and I was hoping you could point me out where I did wrong?”

Gogo remain quiet. “Sure, why not?” she shrugged reluctantly. “Do you want me to come over to your house after school for a study session?”

Honey’s eyes widen behind her glasses and her lips formed into a tiny grimace.

“Um, maybe not in my home,” she said nervously. “We could try the library…?”

“Hey, girls.” Wasabi came up between them. “Wanna head to calculus class together? I think we’re getting a quiz today.”

At this, Gogo suddenly left the group and made her way towards a staircase as though she was in an urgent hurry.

“Gogo, where are you going?” Honey called out to her. “Calculus class isn’t that way.”

“I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll join you guys in a few minutes,” Gogo told her.

The purple-streak haired girl entered the nearest bathroom. Cursing under her breath, Gogo quickly take out her calculus notes, trying to memorize everything…

* * *

The final bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. Hiro stepped off from the robotics lab and joined up with his friends.

“Hey, guys, guess who’s been invited to attend the Ishioka Industries Trade Show in two weeks?” Hiro announced proudly.

“You too, Hiro?!” Honey squealed, bouncing a little in giddiness much to Hiro’s surprise.

“Wait, what does that mean?” he inquired.

“Hiro, all of us are picked out by our teachers to attend the event too,” Wasabi replied, motioning his gestures to everyone in the group. “Well, all of us except Fred.”

“Hold up,” Fred spoke. “My dad’s was supposed to come to the event but since he’s away, I’ll be going in his place. So we’re all going together!”

“Wow,” Hiro muttered, scratching his head. He was still surprised by this news. “This is… quite a coincidence that the entire gang is coming.”

Hiro and his friends started walking through the campus, all of them happy they’re leaving the school for the day. Wasabi noticed how quiet Hiro is and saw his glum expression.

“You okay, Hiro?” he asked in. “What’s wrong?”

“Eh, Professor Lebur gave me a hard time today,” Hiro replied indifferently.

“Ohh, Hiro, don’t let him get to you,” Honey said as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, that guy is so strict and his tests are tough,” Wasabi agreed. “He even gave Tadashi a hard time. Lebur’s unpopular but he’s the only one available to take the job since nobody else wants to after the whole Callaghan incident.”

“I hear he’s being replaced soon,” Gogo spoke up. “Just woman up and endure this, Hiro. And then you won’t have to see his face again.”

Hiro felt a whole lot better and he beamed at his friends. The gang walked up to the bus stop and they are the only ones there. That’s when Hiro remembered his plan this morning.

“Hey, guys, are we meeting up at Fred’s place as usual?” he asked. “I’ve been building some new upgrades for all of you and I want to test them out before we go on our patrol tonight.”

Hiro saw his friends’ faces grimaced with hesitation before they start pouring out their excuses.

“I can’t, little man,” Wasabi shook his head. “Today’s Thursday. I have to go to my part-time job. Mr. Yutani threatens to fire me if I’m late or don’t show up again.”

“I have to attend an important family dinner,” Honey said, looking down sadly at her feet.

“I have a date with that girl from my favorite comic store,” Fred said. “There’s this movie she wanted to see and this is the last week they’re showing.”

“And I have homework,” Gogo finished.

Hiro couldn’t believe his eyes. “Come on, guys,” he begged. “We always used to patrol the city every night!”

“We’re still exhausted from last night’s fight, Hiro,” Honey said. She gave Hiro a guilty look. “And we have other things going in our personal lives. We’re so sorry, Hiro. We’ll make it up to you next time.”

Hiro just stared at her in silence. Soon, Hiro’s bus came rolling down the bus stop and Hiro got on. He took a seat near the window and watched his friends wave good-bye at him as their figures grew smaller when the bus started moving away. A gloomy loneliness fell over him.

“Unbelievable,” he sighed.

* * *

Hiro walked into the Lucky Cat café and greeted his guardian. “Hey, Aunt Cass!”

Aunt Cass is wiping the table and she looked up to see her nephew. She’s growing several gray hairs and her tiny wrinkles are becoming more prominent. Despite her aged looks, her wide smile made her appear years younger.

Even more than a year has passed since he became a superhero, Hiro still pretends to be a normal boy attending college while keeping his double-life a secret from his aunt. He plans to keep it that way since he knows Aunt Cass will be extremely worried for him and he might put her in possible danger. He should thank Fred for being savvy on comics and giving him useful advice.

“Heeey, there’s my little college man!” Aunt Cass smiled. “How was school, sweetie?”

“It was alright,” Hiro replied. “I got picked out to visit this special science expo at my school in two weeks. I’ll be meeting some famous scientist.”

Aunt Cass is now curious. “That’s so exciting! Tell me more details after the café is closed, okay?”

“I will. Where’s Baymax?” Hiro asked, looking around.

“He’s upstairs. He was a great help today, serving the customers with their pastries and coffee though he keeps bumping against them with his balloon body.”

Hiro chuckled and went upstairs. On the first floor where the kitchen and living room is, he found Baymax sweeping the floor with a broom. The nursebot avoids sweeping near Mochi who is dozing on his bed.

Hiro saw the cat had lost some weight and his fur looked unkempt. Mochi is even acting strange lately; Hiro remember Mochi not using his litter box properly, often gets agitated, and even wanders around the house aimlessly as though he was lost in his own home. Aunt Cass had been worried for her pet lately and she often took him trips to the vet clinic to see what’s wrong with him.

Hiro isn’t entirely sure what’s wrong with Mochi but the cat is still the laidback, friendly creature even though he can no longer climb up on the table anymore.

“Hello Hiro, how was school today?” Baymax greeted his patient.

“No serious harm came to me, if that’s what you’re thinking of, Baymax,” Hiro said.

Baymax made a quick scan. “Your vitals and mood are normal. You been perspiring possibly from heat or mild exercise. However, you need a better diet and more sleep to keep your body more active,” he stated.

Hiro shook his head in amusement. “Well, guess what, buddy? Looks like I’ll actually be staying home tonight so more sleep for me then!” he said.

“Are we not going to our usual patrol tonight?” Baymax tilted his head.

“Nah, everybody’s busy,” Hiro said dismissively.

He then went up another flight of stairs which led to the bedroom where Hiro used to share with Tadashi when he was still alive. Hiro’s room has gotten more disorganized with clothes and school notes lingering on corners. Only Tadashi’s side of the room remained clean and untouched ever since his tragic death. Months ago, Hiro and Aunt Cass set up a small shrine near Tadashi’s bed so Hiro can talk to his brother’s spirit every day.

Hiro lit up the incense and sat on his knees. He stared longingly at the framed photograph of his older brother and wished he was looking at him in person.

“Hey, Tadashi,” he began. “Sorry for not stopping by recently, I was caught up with my superhero job and helping people. Just like you’ve always wanted…”

He heard the familiar squeaky vinyl sounds of Baymax coming up to the room, though Hiro kept on talking to his brother’s photo.

“Guess what? Professor Lebur got half of the class resenting me when he threatened to make his tests harder, but it’s not my fault I’m smarter than him,” Hiro continued. “Plus, I think he’s jealous that I’m gonna meet a scientist while he won’t.”

Hiro became silent for a few minutes and let his fingers interlaced together. He imagine he was holding Tadashi’s warm hand at this moment and he could feel his chest tightened just thinking how much he missed him.

“I wished you were coming with me to this expo, Tadashi,” he mumbled. “Then I again, I don’t think you’d be so fond of exhibition halls after that night with the fire…”

Hiro stopped, clenching his lips in sorrow. He didn’t try to cry but the pain still hurts him.

“Hiro?” he heard Baymax call out to him. “Do you need a hug?”

Hiro immediately jumped up and threw himself into Baymax’s soft body. Baymax wrapped his arms around his patient and gently patted his head.

“Thanks. I needed that,” Hiro said. He pulled back and gave the robot a grateful smile.

“Is it about Tadashi? I missed him too, but he will always be here.”

“I know, but it’s not just about him. I had other things on my mind earlier.”

“What has been troubling you?” Baymax asked after sensing Hiro’s distress earlier. “I would like to help you.”

Hiro was hesitant at first but he knew Baymax can give him some advice. He took a deep breath and poured out his thoughts.

* * *

Fred jumped off from a bus and ran a whole block towards a store called Nucleus Comics. At a distance, he saw a young woman was standing outside on the front steps. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses that are a bit too large for her. She was wrapped up in an old jacket that’s too big for her. She had been waiting for someone for nearly half an hour until he finally showed up.

“Sorry, I’m late!” Fred ran up to her, panting heavily. He quickly composed himself. “You ready for our big date, Stephie baby?”

“Yeah,” Stephanie nodded. She tried to hide her disappointment in him with a warm smile. “I was worried you wouldn’t show up.”

“Things got caught but it’s all good now,” Fred chuckled. He got down on his knees and began begging for forgiveness. “I know I wasn’t being a good boyfriend these past few weeks, but I’ll treat you like a princess tonight!”

Stephanie wasn’t completely convinced but she helped him get on his feet.

“Alright, but don’t do that again, okay?” she smiled sheepishly. “You look like a silly dork.”

“Yeah, but I’m your silly dork,” Fred told her before planting a kiss on her neck. She giggled and lightly shoved him away.

Stephanie then held his hand, pressing her body against his. Soon Fred and his date began walking toward the movie theaters. Fred sighed blissfully; he fondly remembered the first time he met her during a charity drive when he was volunteering. He remembered how scrawny she looked in her old clothes and despite her poor background, he couldn’t help but fall in love with her. It took him great courage to ask her out on their first date, and he learned how much he and Stephanie shared a huge love for comics and videogames. Fred realized the last time he felt this happy was when he had his first love with someone else before but he recalled the tragedy that ended it…

“I’m so glad we’ll be watching _Kentucky Kaiju vs the Corncob Monster Lackeys_ ,” Fred blabbed excitedly. “This is the last week it’ll be showing! Sure it had a lot of negative reviews but the critics don’t understand how it’s meant for young kids and teenagers, instead of some deep story they expected…”

“Yeah, that’s unfair,” Stephanie muttered. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Or we could watch that action-packed spy movie instead…”

Fred rubbed his fingers on his goatie, thinking. “I dunno… I wanna wait for the DVD to come out with the director’s cut version and some new scenes.”

Stephanie frowned for a moment until she thought of something.

“Oh, yeah! I have enough money for two small popcorn and maybe one small drink,” she said as she fished out a wad of crumpled money from her jacket. “Working two jobs as a waitress and looking after a comic store was hard but it was worth it.”

“Stephie, save your money,” Fred told her. “Tonight, I’m the one who’ll be treating you.”

The girl blushed and clutched Fred’s hand tight. “Fred, you don’t have to do all this for me,” she stammered. “I’m not used to so much generosity.”

Fred stopped and turned to look at her in the eye.

“But I want to, you’re my girl,” he said with sincerity.

“Even if... I lived in a place with no hot showers and I wear the same clothes two days in a row?” Stephanie asked, raising her eyebrows in worry.

“I recycled my own underwear and I had a pair which lasted me four days straight,” Fred said, giving her wink.

Stephanie couldn’t decide whether to be impressed or grossed out, but she lightly slapped his face twice before kissing his nose.

“You’re disgusting,” she giggled.

* * *

Honey Lemon came out from the elevator and entered the tenth floor of the condominium where her family lived. She made last quick brushes on her short hair—she had it cut after one accident during chemistry lab and she was lucky she wasn’t burned—hoping she looks presentable enough. She came up to a door that shows the family name “Cazares” written on it. She took a deep breath and entered.

She was greeted by her young twin brother Luis, who is carrying their toddler brother Emil.

“Welcome home, sis,” he said. “Don’t go into the living room yet.” He glanced darkly at a door at the end of a hall where he was standing. “Mom and dad almost broke into a fight, so the situation is kind of tense at this moment.”

“Got it,” Honey nodded. She carefully entered her home and sneaked down the hall as quietly as she can. “Where’s Marisol?”

“She’s not coming tonight. She’s working over time,” Luis replied as little Emil started to make grabby hands towards Honey. Marisol is the name of their oldest sister. “Dad got really mad when he heard the news since this was supposed to be our last dinner together as family.”

Honey twiddled her fingers nervously. “I don’t blame Poppy for trying to skip this,” she whispered.

“Luis, is that Dulce who came home?” a woman speaking in a strained Cuban accent called out from the other room.

Luis gave his twin sister a worried look before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Honey gulped and she clutched the straps of her purse tight to her body. Moving upright like a robot, she slowly walked into the living room and saw her parents sitting across from each other. Important-looking document papers were placed on top of a coffee table but Honey grimly knew what they are.

“Hello, mama,” Honey greeted her mother.

“Dulce, how was school today?” Mrs. Cazares asked. Honey noticed how tired she looked.

“I got a high score from last week’s test today, mama,” Honey replied with pride. “And I had a quiz in calculus and I did well in that one too.”

“Dulce, you did not say hello to me,” Honey’s father said grumpily as he puffed on his cigarette.

“Don’t yell at her!” his wife snapped at him.

“I wasn’t yelling at her!” Mr. Cazares snapped back. “Jeez, woman, can’t you even calm down for five minutes?”

“It’s no wonder Marisol won’t come to dinner tonight, it’s because of your temper!”

“Who’s the one who kept demanding her to become a nurse like you?!”

Honey ignored her parents, now shouting in Spanish at each other, and went up to her room. She dropped her purse and collapsed on the pink-colored bedsheets. She was so tired; tired from the stress of school work, finding a part-time job, superhero duties, and on top of all that, her parents are getting a divorce.

Honey didn’t want to believe such a thing is happening to her family and no matter how much she tried to be cheerful during this situation, she couldn’t help but worry about what’s going to happen to her. Her parents are already using her and his siblings to get back at each other, and making them choose sides. Honey cannot imagine being separated from her sister and brothers, especially Luis who took up baking classes instead of attending SFIT with her and Emil who has learned to form words into sentences.

She reached inside her purse and took out her cellphone. She went through her photos of her having fun with her friends, as normal civilians and as superheroes. Then she flipped to another photo of her graduating high school with her entire family surrounding her, beaming with love and pride.

“You two were so happy with each other for many years,” she spoke out loud, staring sadly at her parents’ faces in the photo. “… When did you stop loving each other?”

* * *

Wasabi walked to the backroom behind the small kitchen of his part-time job. Yummy Yuuma is a diner where Japanese meals are served, from okonomiyaki to yakitori, though most visitors would prefer a bowl of hot ramen noodles, the diner’s main specialty, on late afternoons and nights when the air gets too cold. The place resembles a classic American diner mixed with a touch of Asian designs and when it first opened, it became a popular hotspot for teenagers and middle-aged adults.

Wasabi pulled out his cellphone and began writing a text message to his younger sister Mirin while she’s practicing at San Fransokyo Archery Academy.

 _“Mirin, I’ll be coming home late tonight,”_ the text reads. _“There’s some left-over coconut curry tofu in the fridge, so you can heat that up.”_

He thought about last night’s events and how terrified he was when he saw his sister approached him and his team for autographs. He wanted to avoid interacting her while he was a superhero so he would not give away his secret identity to her. At home, Mirin made no attempt to hide her enthusiastic love for Big Hero 6 and wanted to meet and see the superheroes in action.

*&*&*

_“I was able to get some pictures of them, Wasabi!” Mirin told him, bouncing with excitement, as soon he came home last night after dropping off his suit at Fred’s estate. “They’re more incredible in person!”_

_“That’s nice,” Wasabi said, forcing a smile but he was sweating nervously._

_The burly neatnik ran a finger over his pencil mustache above his lip and wondered if he should trim it more until it’s in perfect symmetry. Mirin often teased him how he’s treating his new mustache as though he were growing petunias._

_“And why are you calling me ‘Wasabi’? Only my friends do that,” he added._

_“You look more like a Wasabi than a Gary,” Mirin said as she casually lay down on the couch, setting her legs up on the armrest._

_“Whoa whoa whoa, shoes off!” Wasabi cried. He hastily removed his sister’s dirty sneakers and placed them near the door. “I just cleaned the couch yesterday!”_

_“You could have asked, Mr. Clean Cop,” Mirin grumbled as she walked off to the bathroom._

_Wasabi realizing how hungry he is. He walked to the kitchen of the apartment he’s living alone with his sister. He paused and he screamed at what he saw before his eyes._

_“MIRIN, YOU DIDN’T CLEAR UP THE SINK!” he screeched in horror._

_“It’s only one dirty dish. Lighten up!” Mirin laughed._

_* &*&*_

Wasabi’s thoughts were interrupted when his boss Mr. Yutani started yelling into his ear.

“Gary Maki! Have you been using your cellphone again?!” a balding Japanese man shouted impatiently. “I need threw ramen bowls for orders 13, 15 and 17 quickly!”

“Sorry, Mr. Yutani!” Wasabi apologized quickly and hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the noodle packs.

“Maki, this is the third time you got distracted at work,” Mr. Yutani scolded him. “Not to mention showed up late two times, and left the diner once during busy hours!”

“Sorry, there was a family emergency that time,” Wasabi lied. The time he left during work hours is when Hiro called the team when they were trying to chase bank robbers.

“Maki, you are good worker but not very reliable. If you don’t shape up, I’m firing you,” his boss warned him.

Wasabi began to panic. This is the fourth part-time job he got after he was fired from his previous ones when they got clashed with his superhero duties. Because Wasabi couldn’t stay focused on his work, his performances declined and he was kicked out. It took him a three months to find another job until he found an ad for cook at Yummy Yuuma.

“Please, Mr. Yutani, I need this job,” Wasabi begged. “I won’t disappoint you again.”

“I hope so,” Yutani said while returning to his okonomiyaki grill, shaking his head in frustration.

* * *

Gogo went straight home after separating from Hiro at the bus stop. She came around the corner of the block where the residential Painted Ladies stand in a long row. She saw her sister’s cruiser parked in front of the house where she lived _. I wonder if Miss Graveyard-Shift is awake and drinking coffee at this hour,_ Gogo thought curiously.

Gogo came through the front door and saw her tiny grandmother, in her fuzzy bathrobe, talking to her older sister.

“June, are you sure you don’t want some cream and sugar in your coffee?” The old woman asked.

A young woman, known as Officer Park on duty, dressed in a police officer suit is sitting at the dining table, sipping a mug of black coffee.

“I’m fine,” June said stiffly before reading the newspaper.

Grandmother Park heard Gogo entering and she turned around happily.

“Sang-hwa, welcome home!” she greeted with a big toothless smile.

“Granny, I’m over here,” Gogo said. Her grandmother just started talking to the vase after mistaking it for her granddaughter.

“Sorry, I lost my glasses again,” Grandmother Park said.

Oblivious to her however, her glasses were sitting on top of her head much to Gogo’s amusement. She gently slide the glasses down on her grandmother’s face.

“Ah! There you are!” the old woman smiled now that she can see clearly. Her wrinkled hand reached out to touch Gogo’s ponytail. “And you’re growing your hair longer!”

“Yeah, I’ve been doing that for weeks,” Gogo said.

June finished her coffee and grabbed her police jacket. “I can’t stay longer, ladies,” she said. “I’ve been called in to duty earlier than scheduled. I’ll be home around midnight. Don’t stay up late, Granny.”

“You’re a healthy lady, June, I don’t know why you want to work the night shift,” Grandmother Park sighed before clearing up the table.

Gogo gave her sister an encouraging smile. “Save the world one duty at a time, officer.”

“I will… if those Big Hero 6 superheroes haven’t done it first before I could,” June chuckled sarcastically.

Gogo heads straight to her bedroom. The walls are filled with pictures of motorcycles and kickboxing fighters. Gogo went to her desk, exhausted; all day, she’s been suppressing a lot of negative gloominess and she didn’t want people to see her looking weak. She always proved how strong and confident she is around people and she cannot disappoint them.

She dumped several college textbooks on her desk and then pulled out her test papers from her bag. Each of them have low score marks. Gogo hated herself for lying to Honey that she’s doing great in classes when in reality, she’s slowly failing her tests and quizzes. She even turned in incomplete homework because all the superhero duties sapped so much of her energy and she’s often too tired to study.

“What’s wrong with me?” she groaned quietly. “Am I stupid…?”

Just looking at her terrible test papers is enough to break her heart and she could feel her tears forming. She worked so hard to apply at SFIT and she’s terrified of dropping out of it. She’s even more terrified of what her grandmother and sister would think of her.

Gogo lowered her head in shame, her hands clutching on the sides of her hair, and began sobbing in silence.

* * *

After Hiro is done telling Baymax what happened earlier today at SFIT and before coming home, the nursebot went quiet for a moment.

“I don’t know why the rest of the team seems so eager to slack off from their duty lately,” Hiro said sadly. “We all promised to help the people of San Fransokyo… do they even care about Tadashi’s legacy?”

“Hiro,” Baymax began. “Your friends still care about their roles and and neither of them are avoiding their jobs on purpose.”

“Then why…”

“Hiro, I think Tadashi not only wants you to fulfill his dream, but he might remind you to think of other people’s feelings as well. Especially those who are close to you.”

Hiro thought about it. It’s true he’s the only so far who doesn’t have a part-time job yet and he’s still young enough to have enough energy and enthusiasm to continue staying as a superhero on a daily basis without being stressed so much. He mentally slapped himself when he remembered his friends are not huge geniuses like him who can adapt and overcome obstacles easily.

“I guess I was too hard on them, huh?” he asked.

“You just missed having them around,” Baymax replied. “Aunt Cass suggested you should make friends your own age so you would be less lonely.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Hiro snorted. He remembered how he didn’t have friends in high school since he was the youngest in class and the only one who stuck by him is Tadashi. And now that his brother is gone, the only people Hiro can trust and rely on are Aunt Cass and his friends.

Hiro went to his computer and began downloading some files into his USB. Baymax looked at the screen over Hiro’s shoulder.

“Don’t you have homework from school you should work on?” the medical robot inquired.

“I’ll do them later,” Hiro said before heading down to the garage. “I got some upgraded suits to design.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((As you can see, this chapter is the longest so far since I have to put a lot stuff in one chapter instead of splitting this into two parts. But I already planned to write longer chapters so you can enjoy more of the story. The subplots of Hiro's friends won't take so much in the story but I wanted to flesh their personalities out to make them more relatable since they're part-time superheroes attending college.
> 
> Trivia: Professor Martin Lebur is a deleted concept character a while back when Big Hero 6 was in early development. Apparently, he is the main professor of science research who taught a class, in which Hiro was in. Lebur was not a fan of Hiro because he was jealous of his gift. But I guess he was replaced by Professor Callaghan so nobody will quickly guess him as the villain.
> 
> Here are the real names of Hiro's friends: Sang-hwa Park (Gogo), Dulce Carmelita Cazares (Honey Lemon), and Gary Maki (Wasabi). Fred's surname will be revealed later into the story.))


	4. Cherry Blossom Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro has lunch with his friends and then remembers an old promise he made for his brother.

**Chapter 3**

More than a week passed until it was Sunday, just five days before the trade show at SFIT exhibition hall. Hiro had been feeling antsy since Big Hero 6 could only spend three nights a week patrolling and catching criminals rather making it a daily routine like they used to do before in the past. He and Baymax were invited out to lunch by their friends as a treat for Hiro after being patient with them and their obligations that prevented them for doing their duties. Hiro looked forward to Sundays since his friends aren’t usually busy that time and it’s the only time of the week where they can be superheroes in the daytime and retire in the evening.

Hiro put on a new dark hoodie jacket—after his favorite one got too old and small for him to fit anymore—over a blue shirt. He even stopped wearing capri shorts in favor of skinny jeans. After tying his shoelaces, Hiro stepped up to the full-length mirror in his bedroom; he saw a boy who had grown a few inches taller in a year; his shoulders and upper have broaden in lean angular form though he still remained looking like a gawky teenager. His hair hasn't changed so much; Hiro preferred to keep it messy and in its original length despite Aunt Cass’ persistence to have it cut.

Hiro saw Baymax waddle him behind him and they look at their reflections in the mirror.

“You look sick,” Baymax commented, and then added, “It’s just an expression.”

“That’s right, buddy,” Hiro nodded. “You ready to go?”

“Will I be using my portable suitcase?” the nursebot asked.

He’s referring to his red box where he goes after someone deactivates him when Baymax’s caregiving job is done. Hiro managed to make the suitcase mobile so Baymax can ride it easily wherever he goes and immediately attend a medical emergency.

“No need, Wasabi will pick us up,” Hiro said.

He poked his head into Tadashi’s room.

“Hey, Tadashi!” he said to the photograph on the shrine. “Baymax and I are off. Don’t wait up!”

He paused and thought of the last words he just said. _Well, of course he wouldn’t be, what am I thinking…_ He sighed and slowly closed the divider after glancing one last look at the shrine.

Hiro heard a faint meow and he looked down to see Mochi rubbing his body against Hiro’s legs.

“Hey, Mochi, you look pretty tired,” Hiro said as he bent over to stroke Mochi’s head. “Even though you’re sleeping like twenty-four seven.”

Mochi bit Hiro’s fingers, a little offended, though his bite is weak. Hiro grabbed a small backpack and went downstairs. Baymax gently scooped up Mochi and carried him downstairs, following close to his primary patient. Hiro reached the bottom steps when he saw his aunt sitting in the kitchen, going through a vet care magazine. As soon she saw Hiro, she immediately closed the magazine and hid it under the phonebook.

“Hey, Hiro! You’re going out?” Aunt Cass asked, putting on an innocent smile.

“Yup! I’m going to Bobby’s Pizzeria and have lunch with my friends,” Hiro replied. He went over to a cupboard and took out a small pack of gummi bears. He then stuffed the snack inside his bag. “And then we’ll go hang out afterwards.”

“Oh.” Aunt Cass’s expression is nearly hard to read but her tone sounded a little unhappy. “I’d hoped we’d have some time to talk. The Lucky Cat is closed on Sundays. It’s the one day of the week we can spend together.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll talk tonight, okay? See ya, Auntie!” Hiro gave her reassuring grin before bolting out the door.

“I… Alright, sure,” Cass sighed. Baymax went over to Cass and gave Mochi to her.

“Your feline needs medical attention as soon as possible,” he told her. “I am not knowledgeable enough in veterinary skills.”

Aunt Cass wistfully petted her old cat while Baymax went to follow Hiro. He and Hiro stepped out of the café and they saw Wasabi’s new van parked outside.

“Hiro, Baymax,” Wasabi greeted him. “You ready to leave?”

“Oh yeah, I’m starving.”

Hiro was about to enter the passenger’s seat but then made a startled scream and jumped back. Mirin had popped up and her bushy pigtails bounced as she laughed at his expression.

“Nice try, but I called shotgun!” she exclaimed. She was holding a long bag that contained her recursive bow and protective archery gear.

“Mirin?! You gave me a heart attack!” Hiro cried angrily.

Baymax rubbed his hands to turn on his defibrillators. “Clear,” he said, holding them up in front of Hiro.

“Still an expression, buddy!” Hiro corrected him. He turn back to Mirin. “And why are you here?”

He remembered the first time Wasabi introduced her to the gang; Mirin has an air of jovial mischievousness and her presence radiates overconfidence. Hiro learned that she’s his age and while she’s not a bad girl, he finds her enthusiasm a bit too much for him.

“I just picked her up from archery lessons. She’ll be having lunch with us if you don’t mind,” Wasabi explained while he helped Baymax into the backseat. He then opened a small hood of the van so Baymax’s head poke out.

Hiro groaned and rubbed his forehead. He hoped Wasabi’s sister won’t stay too long since he has plans with the group later on. Seeing Baymax’s round body filled up the entire first backseat, Hiro climbed to the second backseat and saw someone else was already sitting there.

Hiro recognized him that night after Big Hero 6 stopped the Banzai Brothers and Big Yama; it was Mirin’s male companion with the smooth chin-length black hair. He was leaning against the wall of the van, clutching his stomach. He looked green and queasy in the face and his lips were clenched tight.

“Hey, are you okay?” Hiro asked, concerned. He saw the boy is carrying a fanny pack around his waist and he wondered what it’s filled off but he felt it’s rude to ask about it.

“I see you met Yasuo. I brought him along for lunch if you guys don’t mind,” Mirin said. “He gets a little carsick but he’ll be alright.”

“He won’t throw up, will he?” Wasabi whispered nervously to her “This is a new car, you know.”

“Don’t be rude, brother.”

Hiro sat a little distance away from Mirin’s friend though he felt a little bad for him. Wasabi started the car and zoomed off to their destination. While Wasabi and Mirin chatted in the front, Hiro thought how he should help Mirin’s carsick friend when Baymax’s head turned 180 degrees, startling the other boy.

“Hello, I am Baymax. You are suffering from slight motion sickness,” the nursebot said to the other boy. “I suggest keeping your mind occupied by doing some mental math or recite lyrics to a favorite song. It will help distract your brain from mixed sensory messages. It also helps if you suck on some hard candy.”

“Y-yeah, that’s a good suggestion!” Hiro stammered, nodding. He looked shyly at Mirin’s friend. “Hey, um… My name’s Hiro.”

“I’m Yasuo,” the sick-looking boy muttered quietly. He was like a fragile paper flower that looked ready to be crushed or torn to pieces if he says the wrong thing. Yasuo avoided Hiro’s gaze and kept looking at Baymax with interest.

“S-sorry to ask, but is that a robot?” he stammered, his tiny voice was like a cross between a whisper and a nervous squeak.

“Yeah, he’s Baymax,” Hiro replied as he reached for the gummi candy from his bag. He was saving it for later but Yasuo needs it more than him. “He’s a robotic caregiver. … You like gummi bears?”

“I saw prototypes for n-nursebots when I was living in Japan, but nothing like this balloon fellow… Yes, th-thank you so much,” Yasuo said. He takes the snack pack and began to slowly suck and chew on the gummi candy.

“Oh, you lived in Japan?” Wasabi asked as he kept his eyes on the road. “I guess living in San Fransokyo won’t make you less homesick, huh?”

Yasuo didn’t reply. When he finally spoke, it came out as a mumble that only Hiro could barely hear, “I g-guess…”

“He was actually born here,” Mirin told her brother, decided to speak on Yasuo’s behalf. “But he moved to Japan when he was a kid, spent several years there and then moved back here a month ago.”

“So, what’s it like coming back after not seeing San Fransokyo for years?” Wasabi asked Yasuo again.

Yasuo remained uncomfortably quiet. He continued eating the gummi bears when his eyes grew wide and his face went black.

“You alright?” Hiro asked. “Are you allergic?”

“N-no,” Yasuo shakes his head, staring at the colorful sweets in his hand. “I was… thinking of an old memory.”

Yasuo became silent for the rest of the ride which doesn’t bother Hiro since he can mentally think of the new upgrades for Big Hero 6 and his friends’ reactions to them. Wasabi’s van rolled into the parking lot of a pizza diner. Hiro, Baymax, Wasabi, and their guests stepped into the air-conditioned restaurant and joined with the others at a booth near the window.

Hiro looked around the place and how much it has changed since he was a little boy; he remembered Aunt Cass used to take him and Tadashi here for lunch and let them play the arcade and crane games while being entertained by the diner’s singing youkai-based animatronics before they were all scrapped and put away. Hiro often more prizes at the crane machines than Tadashi, either through luck or Hiro figuring out how to beat a rigged game.

Despite Hiro always loved robots, he remembered one embarrassing birthday incident where Tadashi teased him of his fears of the scary-looking animatronics.

* * *

_“C'mon! Kenny Kappa wants to give the birthday boy a handshake!” Eleven-year-old Tadashi laughed as he lifted his little brother in front of a green animatronic that looked like a deformed turtle with a bad haircut._

_“Nii-san, nooooo! I dun wanna!” Hiro, who just turned six-years-old, wailed as he tried to squirm out of Tadashi’s grip. Big tears rolled down his face and he was shrieking in fear._

_Before Tadashi decided he had enough scaring Hiro, the animatronic’s duckbill—probably due to the malfunctioning—came chomping down on his little brother’s hand._

* * *

Hiro shuddered at the memory. He had to spend a night at a hospital to recover from his injury but at least Tadashi had received an earful from an angry Aunt Cass. His first hospital visit, as far as he can remember, was pretty uninteresting and boring since there’s hardly many things for him to do other than watch tv and play with his favorite toy robot which Tadashi brought over as his way of apologizing. A bugging thought crept into Hiro’s mind….

There was something else that happened during his stay in the hospital; he racked his brains and remembered sharing a room with a bald child who had been crying for some reason.

Honey’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Hiro, we’re ordering the stuffed hotdog crust pizza,” she said. “Is that alright?”

“Huh…? Oh! No problem!” Hiro said. He was sitting on one side of the booth with Baymax, Mirin and Yasuo while his friends are sitting across him. It felt a little cramped sitting between the robot and Mirin, but at least Hiro has enough room to move his elbows. Soon their pizza arrived and everyone was enjoying themselves.

“This place is rather nice,” Fred said as he looked around the diner. “If they didn’t get rid of the mascot animatronics and the game cabinets, I would have brought Stephanie here on a date.”

“I… think you should take her somewhere else, Freddie,” Honey suggested, feeling awkward at Fred’s idea of an ideal of a romantic date. “Somewhere a little more romantic.”

“Aww but, Honey!” Fred whined, with his mouth full of pizza. He’s clearly oblivious to what Honey meant. “You’d win a free pizza if you get enough tickets! What could be more romantic than that?”

“I’m just glad to get away from SFIT,” Gogo said as she chews on a breadstick while reading a small notebook full of class notes.

“Have you been getting enough sleep, Gogo?” Wasabi asked. He’s been slowly picking off some toppings he hated from his pizza slice. “I noticed you’ve been getting eye shadows lately.”

“That’s none of your business,” Gogo snapped.

On the other side of the table, Mirin is in a conversation with Hiro.

“During my archery lessons last week, I have this idea to use plasma-induced arrows that could blow stuff up,” she chattered.

Hiro stared at her. “… Why would you a want a need for them?” he asked.

“Because I want to have my own weapon when I ask Big Hero 6 to join their team,” Mirin replied. Hiro is flabbergasted.

“I don’t see that happening,” Hiro answered quickly.

“Why not?”

Hiro rubbed his forehead. He tried to think of a way to explain his reason without giving away his team’s secret identity. His eyes caught Yasuo sitting next to the window. His pizza slice was left untouched since he was distracted by a pair of thick-framed glasses that he just put on. The lenses were tinted in a strange bluish color and Hiro could see tiny buttons on the side of the frame. Hiro realized Yasuo must be using the popular “cyber-glasses” everyone in SFIT was talking about. Hiro didn’t have his own pair yet but he mentally reminds himself to buy one online.

“Because being a superhero is a dangerous job that takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” Hiro continued his conversation with Mirin. Soon everybody, except Yasuo, at the table is listening in. “And there are risks if your secret identity is found out.”

“Plus, Big Hero 6 only allows _six_ members, and they might prefer to keep it as an even number,” Fred added.

“I can replace a member if they’re sick or too injured to fight,” Mirin protested.

“You heard Hiro,” Wasabi argued. “Just because you’re a huge fan of superheroes doesn’t mean you have what it takes to be one.”

“But, Wasabi…”

“Listen to him Mirin,” Hiro said. “A brother what’s best for you.”

Mirin groaned, “You guys are such party-poopers.” Honey gave her a sympathetic smile. Gogo looked at the small pile of toppings on Wasabi’s plate after he picked them off from his second pizza slice.

“Woman up and eat your mushrooms, you picky baby,” she said.

“You’re not my dad,” Wasabi huffed.

“Wasabi can’t eat mushrooms,” Mirin spoke up again. She was grinning mischievously. “They gave him the farts.”

Wasabi’s face blushed. **_“MIRIN!!”_** he screamed.

Hiro spat out his soda and they fell on Gogo’s notes; Gogo then kicked Hiro under the table.

“The other night, he was ripping the air that would easily blow out candles. And possibly a bonfire,” Mirin went on without missing a beat. "The next morning, he had a serious roller coaster toilet ride."

 ** _“Mirin, I swear--!!”_** Wasabi growled, both embarrassed and grossed out.

Fred laughed so hard but he forgot his mouth is full of pizza. He froze stiff and his hand reached his neck; he tried to make a sound but nothing coming out.

“Freddie’s choking!” Honey cried while Wasabi and Gogo tried to help him.

“Baymax, help him!” Hiro ordered.

“Yes, Hiro.” Baymax squeezed out from his seat and hurriedly waddled to Fred. He pulled the school mascot away from the table and wrapped his vinyl arms around Fred’s body. Baymax managed to push pizza out from Fred’s throat and the latter coughed, now breathing normally.

“Thanks, buddy…” Fred gave Baymax a thumbs-up for his gratitude. The diner patrons, who were watching nearby, applauded to the robot’s heroic efforts.

“W-wow,” Yasuo gasped, finally speaking up after being silent for a while. He even lifted up his cyber-glasses to see Baymax helping Fred. He turned to Hiro. “Your robot can perform the H-Heimlich Maneuver.”

“He’s programmed with over one thousand medical procedures,” Hiro explained. He was beaming with pride at how Tadashi’s invention is being recognized by other people.

Yasuo’s mouth dropped in awe.

“You should totally show Baymax to Dr. Ishioka at the event at your school. That guy built over 50 different kinds of robots in his company,” Mirin suggested excitedly.

“Seventy robots, actually,” Yasuo corrected her.

“Hiro, this is an opportunity to prove how brilliant you are,” Honey spoke up. “Dr. Ishioka welcomes those who have the ideas and brains to shape the future of modern robotics and technology.”

“Not only that, Ishioka Industries can make Tadashi’s dream come true by mass-producing medical robots like Baymax,” Wasabi said.

“Tadashi would be so thrilled to see you working for a famous scientist!” Fred added with enthusiasm.

Hiro looked at his friends; they were smiling and waiting for his reply. All of them wanted him to become something more amazing and use Ishioka Industries’ name to put Tadashi’s invention in the market to help people, exactly what Tadashi would have wanted. It felt like a good dream yet Hiro was hesitant at first.

“Sorry, guys, but…” Hiro said reluctantly. His friends’ expressions fell. “I don’t know how to feel about this…”

“You have a few days to think about this before the trade show, okay?” Gogo said. “We won’t criticize what decision you make. Right, guys?”

“Of course!” Fred nodded.

Hiro sighed with relief and leaned back against his seat. He thought about showing up at the trade show and impressing Dr. Ishioka with Baymax when he realized he’s doing exactly what he did at his first SFIT showcase when he demonstrated his microbot invention to impress Callaghan… He thought of Dr. Ishioka possibly buying Baymax just like Krei who tried to convince Hiro to sell his microbots to him.

During those two times, Hiro had his brother nearby to give him confidence. Now that Tadashi is gone, Hiro had to make his own decision. At least he won’t be alone; he has Baymax and his friends to depend on. The only thing that worries Hiro is that Dr. Ishioka won’t find Tadashi’s invention impressive.

 _That’s alright,_ he thought. _At least I can pursue that promise I made to Tadashi…_

Soon, the gang parted ways with Mirin and Yasuo. Hiro and his friends ride on Wasabi’s van to their headquarters: Fred’s estate.

* * *

“Heathcliff, the gang’s here!” Fred called out to his butler. “Bring the usual to our room!”

Inside the huge, luxurious mansion, Fred led the way as the gang went down a hall in the first floor until they stopped in front of a huge painting of a manly-looking Fred in a loincloth and an emerald sword in hand battling a three-headed dragon.

“… That is the second weirdest painting I’ve seen in this house,” Wasabi muttered in embarrassment.

Fred touched the frame of the painting and it slide sideways, revealing a secret room which the team built when they’ve decided to make Fred’s home their main headquarters. Inside is a huge lab where Hiro can fix and upgrade the team’s weapons. In one side of the room are several computers hooked to a few 3D printers and in another room in a monitor to keep track of Yama’s robot rampages in San Fransokyo. In the middle of the room is a huge round table where everyone can work on individual projects or have a team discussion. In the far corner are the superhero suits that belonged to the group, all propped up inside exhibition glass and ready to be worn for the next battle.

While his friends went to sit at the table, Hiro started up one of the computers and began working on some models as Baymax stand by, ready for his assistance. Heathcliff soon came in and served everyone cold fruit drinks

“I still can’t believe you have a secret room, Freddie,” Honey said. “This gave us an easier way hiding our suits and gear.”

“I know, right?” Fred grinned. “My dad gave it to me after I stumbled upon his own secret room.”

“Yeah right,” Gogo rolled her eyes while she kept her attention to her school notes.

“I’m serious! My dad’s a retired superhero!”

Honey approached Gogo. Her fingers intertwined nervously. “Gogo, in your neighborhood where you lived,” she began asking, “are there any apartments?”

“No, but there’s a small apartment down a couple of blocks where my grandmother runs her store,” Gogo nodded. She turned to her friend and raised a curious eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“Um… my brother Luis is looking for a place to stay,” Honey replied in a strange tone. Gogo noticed it and decided she’ll question Honey later.

“Tell him to come by my house one of these days and I’ll show him the place.”

Honey gulped reluctantly. “Y-yeah...” Her eyes glanced at Gogo’s notes. “Are you studying, Gogo?”

Gogo quickly closed her notebook. “No, I’m doing some light-reading,” she denied.

“Well, if you have some problems with calculus, I could help you,” Honey said with an encouraging smile.

 _“I don’t have problems with calculus!”_ Gogo suddenly snapped and everyone stared at her.

Gogo saw the hurt expression in Honey’s face. She mumbled a low apology and took a different seat farther from the group. Honey and Wasabi looked at each other, confused about Gogo’s outburst. Hiro went back designing on the computer. Baymax walked over to Honey and gently patted her head to comfort her.

“Thank you, Baymax,” she sighed.

“What’s eating you, Gogo?” Fred demanded.

“I’m not in the mood to discuss things with you, Frederick Lee,” Gogo growled.

Fred, intimidated, quickly switched the conversation. “Hey, Wasabi, is it okay with you if I bring Stephanie to a dinner date at the place where you worked?”

Wasabi narrowed his eyes at the school mascot. “No, it’s not okay with me.”

“Why not? I thought we’re amigos!” Fred gasped.

“Well, my boss thinks I’d get too distracted if I interact with you in some way while I’m working,” Wasabi said firmly, crossing his arms. “Plus… you’d embarrass me and probably get me fired like my last job at the Spicy Tuna.”

“But that was an accident!” Fred protested. His face tinted red in anger; it was rare to see him furious since he’s usually jolly and laid-back. “Well, I’m **_sorry_** for removing my pants in the middle of the restaurant, but I wanted to give them to that my first girlfriend since I threw up all over her skirt! And the reason I threw up is because you served us raw sushi!”

Now it was Wasabi’s turn to get angry. “Sushi was meant to be raw, you uncultured crack--”

“Er, guys—let’s not fight, please.” Honey immediately stands up and placed herself between Fred and Wasabi. “We’re a team, remember?”

Wasabi and Fred continued to give each other silent death glares. "And for the record, sushi would taste better if it's deep-fried..." the school mascot muttered, getting the last word.

“Thanks, Honey,” Hiro said before he spun around. “I’ve finished designing our new upgrades. Come, check it out!”

Before his friends could come over to see them, an alarm began beeping. Everyone saw a red dot blinking on the white map of the city.

“It’s Yama!” Hiro shouted. “He must be using one of his robots again!”

“It’s in the fish markets!” Honey pointed out.

Hiro hurriedly ran over to the super suits and pressed a button. The glass containing them lifted. He grabbed his indigo-colored helmet.

“Maybe this time we’ll have better luck finding out where he is,” he said.

* * *

It was night time when Hiro and Baymax finally returned to the Lucky Cat café. His muscles was sore and stiff from the battle with the new Big Yama robot. After a long battle, the giant bot had self-destructed after being cornered by Big Hero 6 so it won’t leave behind any evidence.

For the rest of the afternoon, Big Hero 6 continued patrolling around San Fransokyo as usual and stopping crimes. Hiro had forgotten to show his friends the new upgrades he’s been working on.

“I suggest a heat pack to treat your muscular pain,” Baymax said.

“Good idea, I have some in my bathroom,” Hiro groaned.

He stepped into the living room, Hiro noticed his aunt isn’t watching tv or eating dinner at this hour. As he called out to her, he heard a noise moving upstairs. Hiro walked up the stairs followed by Baymax. When he reached the top, he saw a few card boxes lying on the floor, opened and ready to be filled.

“Aunt Cass, what are you doing?” Hiro demanded.

His aunt appeared from behind the divider. She looked surprised to see Hiro coming home.

“Hiro, I was just cleaning up…” she stammered.

“Auntie, please put them back,” Hiro said in a tiny voice. His lips were quivering. “I don’t want Tadashi’s stuff moved, this is all what I have left of him…”

Aunt Cass gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were filled with sadness.

“Sweetie, I know you still missed him. I missed him too,” she said. “But it’s been a year and half, and his belongings are gathering so much dust. It would be fair for Tadashi if we put his things somewhere safe… This is what I’ve been wanting to talk to you about before you left today.”

Hiro knew she was right. He moved away from her so he could stare at Tadashi’s room. Even though he still has Baymax’s recordings of him, the room felt empty; filled with his brother’s unfulfilled dreams and crushed promises. Hiro had hoped he could make any physical mementos of his brother last longer but he has put off packing for enough already.

“I’ll put away the boxes if you’re not ready yet,” Aunt Cass said quietly.

Hiro wiped away the tears forming his eyes and sniffled. “No, I want do this,” he said. He awkwardly turned to her. “Can I do this by myself first…?”

Aunt Cass nodded with understanding. She knows her nephew wanted to say good-bye to his brother in privacy. She walked past Baymax and went down stairs. Baymax stand nearby, watching Hiro slowly approach Tadashi’s room.

Despite everything smelled like dust, every object in the room held a lot of sentimental value to Tadashi and as well to Hiro. The young genius doesn’t know how he can pack them all away without thinking of the precious, nostalgic memories that came with them.

The closet door was open and Hiro saw his brother’s clothes stilling hanging. He grabbed a bunch and placed them on the bed so he can start folding them.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Hiro?” Baymax quietly asked.

Hiro glanced over Tadashi’s drawer. “Can even you fold clothes, Baymax?”

“Your aunt showed me how a few times, so I’m capable doing it,” the nursebot replied.

“Well, could you put away some of Tadashi’s clothes in the drawer?”

Baymax did as he was told and began pulling shirts, socks, and underwears—even the tacky ones that made Hiro laughed when Tadashi wore them.

Hiro continued folding the clothes and putting them in a box. He then came across an older blazer that resembles the one Tadashi wore on the night he died. Hiro held it in his hands, his mind filled with regrets and scenes of that night being played over and over.

“Hiro,” Baymax called out to him.

Hiro looked around. Baymax has found a small object inside the drawer. It was a waterglobe with a miniature cherry blossom tree inside it. Hiro takes it from Baymax’s hand and gives it a shake. Miniature flurries of sweet, pink petals danced around. Hiro could feel melancholy filling inside his heart and old memories resurfacing…

* * *

**Two years ago.**

“Dad gave this as a gift to mom on their third date,” Tadashi told Hiro after handing him the waterglobe. The two brothers are sitting on the bed in Tadashi’s room after they came home from karate practice. “And mom gave this to me on my fifth birthday.”

“And you’re giving this to me?” Hiro asked, raising an eyebrow. He’s not usually fond of snow globes but this one with the cherry blossoms is a nice variety.

“Nah, I’m showing it off to you,” Tadashi said jokingly.

His expression softened. “Dad says this is a good-luck charm that’s been handed down in his family. You give this to a person after you make them promise something to you. When he gave it to mom, she promised she’d be always love him.”

“What did you promise to mom when she gave you this?” Hiro asked casually.

“That I’d take care of you.”

Hiro blushed and looked away. “I’m not a baby, I’m a big boy,” he grumbled. “And what did you mean, take care of me. You kicked my butt in karate!”

Tadashi laughed. He placed his hand on Hiro’s, still holding on to the waterglobe.

“I want you to make a promise me for me,” he said.

“I will make no such thing,” Hiro scoffed.

Tadashi ignored his words. “Do you remember all our rules for being a Hamada brother?” he asked.

Hiro looked at him, excited. He and Tadashi often make rules that would not only give them a good name but as some sort of values of what they have to follow if they’re brothers. It was like an exclusive club for just the two of them.

“My favorite one is Rule Four Hundred Fifty-Six: _Hamada Brothers’ projects have to be crazy awesome_ ,” Hiro grinned.

“I like that one too,” Tadashi said, smiling. “You remember we built those rocket boots for Mochi?”

“He flew around like crazy!” Hiro laughed. “We got in so much with trouble with Aunt Cass! She should be thankful we didn’t blow up the cat!”

“Well, what do you think of us starting our own company where we can build our inventions and show them to the world?”

Hiro nearly dropped Tadashi’s gift.

“You’re kidding me,” he said, his mouth wide open.

“I’m not,” Tadashi said, shaking his head. “You don’t believe the world isn’t ready for the Hamada brothers’ crazy awesome ideas?”

“No, I’m just surprised because you rarely invent stuff with me anymore,” Hiro said shyly.

“That would change if we put our heads together and make a name for ourselves.” Tadashi wrapped an arm around Hiro’s shoulders. “Just imagine how many the things we can create to change the world.”

Hiro looked into his brother’s eyes and then shake the cherry blossom waterglobe again.

“Okay, but I’ll pick the name for our company,” he said cheekily.

* * *

**Current Day.**

Hiro watched the petals settled down inside the globe. Long after he rebuilt Baymax, Hiro wanted to fulfill an old promise to his brother; to start his company where he can use his gift to create inventions and show them to the world. Yet, the idea would be sweeter if his brother were still around…

“Your heart rate is high and your mood has decreased,” Baymax noticed.

“It’s not fair, Baymax,” Hiro choked. His body trembled. “I have all these memories and keepsakes of Tadashi... but not him.”

He hugged the globe and cried. It’s been so long since has done that and he felt like he lost his brother again. He stopped crying when he felt something soft placed all over his head. He touched it and realized it was Tadashi’s baseball cap. Just feeling it made him feel like his brother will always be near to him.

He looked up to Baymax and smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Baymax.”

After drying his tears, Hiro continued putting away Tadashi’s belongings before he called Aunt Cass to help him. After every box is filled, Hiro could feel the burden in heart gradually being lifted. Soon, half of Tadashi’s room has been cleaned out. All was left was the furniture, his books, and then the posters. In several days that followed afterwards, the entire room will be empty except for the memorial shrine which now has room and the Hamada family can use it to pray to Tadashi.

As for Tadashi’s belongings, they are moved to the attic and Hiro was allowed to keep a few, which includes the cherry blossom waterglobe and Tadashi’s cap. His room has gotten bigger and Hiro almost wished he could share it with someone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry for a late-ish update, but I've been busy. The good news is however, that I'm posting two chapters instead of one for this update! What a nice treat for you guys~))
> 
> ((Yes, there's FNAF 4 reference in this fic. Sorry, I couldn't help it, I was still hyped from the game's release!))


	5. Jigoku Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two mysterious people of an unknown organization break into a prison where the Banzai Brothers and Professor Callaghan are located.

**Chapter 4**

Around the same time Hiro started cleaning out his brother’s room, evening has fallen over at Yomi Island at San Fransokyo Bay. Huge waves crashed against sharp rocks that surround this small island. It is dangerous to swim away from Yomi Island; you’ll either be crushed by the rough waves and rocks or drown from the powerful currents. A ferry from San Fransokyo visits the island once or twice a week to deliver supplies and new prisoners.

From the docks and down a narrow road leads up to huge buildings made of dark stone surrounded by a twelve-foot tall metal fence protected by thick sharp-looking iron barbs that can cut into a person’s skin. Even if someone manages to climb to the top, electrical wires installed on top of the wall fence would send them fall back to the ground. It was rumored that land mines were planted in a fifteen-foot radius from the fence and it was confirmed true when a prisoner was blown to pieces before he even reached the fence.

These maximum security measures are what make escape from Jigoku Prison impossible.

The building itself sits on a slope, and the main prison area is a large, warehouse-like building. In the main area of the prison, the cellblocks are three tiers high with an empty tier above them. On the northeastern part of the building, there are three floors: the hospital wing on the top floor, the dining hall on the main floor, and the basement on the bottom floor which has been mysteriously locked and boarded up for years and nobody knew the reason since none tried to enter inside. The warden deemed the basement off-limits to both officers and prisoners alike.

There are four blocks in the penitentiary known to have held some of the most dangerous criminals of San Fransokyo, though half of them were transferred from other prisons after multiple attempted escapes. The guard staff boasted that no inmate has ever broken out of Jigoku Prison ever since it was built. Surveillance cameras are placed all over the prison and footage would be sent to several screens in the monitor room where they are watched by a single guard all day and night.

The inmate population is consisted of more than three hundred men who are divided and placed in different blocks depending how serious their crimes are. The last block in the farthest area, known as D-Block, is where the most violent and insane criminals are kept twenty-four hours per day in their large cells with no visitors, no magazines to read, mail is restricted, and only a few hours of recreation time every week. All their meals are even delivered to them. The iron bars in the block can only be opened by a switch near the entrance and the prison guards can use special cards to open and lock an individual door.

The Banzai Brothers, after being apprehended by Big Hero 6, were transferred to Jigoku Prison and are currently staying in a cell in D-Block where they must share. After one week staying at the prison, Dominguez was given permission to visit the infirmary. A guard stands outside while Dominguez gets his check-up.

“I was not aware you’re missing a leg,” the prison doctor said when he saw Dominguez’s thick prosthetic leg. The doctor has an odd appearance: a stocky man wearing a white coat that’s too huge for him. He has a large curly hair and thick-framed round glasses. “How did you lose it?”

“It was blown apart from a bomb,” Dominguez replied, sitting on a hospital bed.

“On purpose?”

“Very funny, doc,” the Banzai Brother growled.

The doctor checks to see if the guard isn’t looking and sneakily gives a corked glass tube to Dominguez.

“Make sure you give this to Komeiji,” he whispered. “He’ll need it for tonight’s plan.”

“How do I hide this thing? That guard might do a body-check on me!” Dominguez demanded. The doctor gave him a look and he slowly realized what he meant. “Oh, you have got to be kidding with me…”

Soon, Dominguez returned to his cell where Komeiji is lying on the top bunk.

“Bro, welcome back!” he greeted his partner while he kept his eyes on a naughty lady poster stuck to the ceiling. “What did the doctor say?”

He heard Dominguez made a painful grunt. When he looked down, Dominguez held up a glass tube for him to take and used his free hand to adjust his trousers.

“The doc told me to give that to you,” Dominguez muttered without glancing up. His face was red all over.

“Bro, did you shove it where I think you shov--”

“JUST… TAKE IT… DON’T ASK.”

In another cell next to the Banzai Brothers’ cell holds Robert Callaghan, former professor at SFIT.

Callaghan spent many days alone without a companion to talk to while thinking of his past crimes that have landed him in here. He sat in his bunk bed, brooding and reading his letters to his daughter.

* * *

A few weeks before he was transferred Jigoku Prison, Abigail finally came around visited her father in jail. Callaghan remembered feeling elated but, at the same time, terrified of her coming to see him.

He was taken to a private room where he finally saw his daughter. The last time he saw her, she was being wheeled to an ambulance on a stretcher and he watched her being taken away from the police car. For a long time, he thought of her lost due to an accident from Alistair Krei’s teleportation project; he almost killed Krei to avenge Abigail but he was thwarted by the efforts of Hiro and his friends. It was Hiro and his robot who managed to rescue Abigail, something he didn’t do and should have done if he didn’t let his rage and grief overcame him. Now he’s dreading what his daughter would think of him.

Abigail sat across her father; a metal table stood between them acting like some sort of invisible wall. She was stone-faced and was sitting upright. Callaghan could tell she was silently judging him and he could only stare at his hands.

Abigail saw how much her father has aged due to stress and being put behind bars. He looked so weak and pathetic in contrast of the intellectual, good parent she used to think of him before. At first, she found it hard to believe he’s the same man who masquerade as a supervillain, ruthlessly caused massive property damages and tried to kill people. But she listened to the eyewitnesses’ accounts and saw the footages of the attack on Krei Tech… In one single night, her entire world had turned upside down.

 She opened her handbag and pulled out a stack of envelopes. She then slid it towards him and Callaghan recognized them as his letters to her. She had not opened them.

“I came here to return these to you,” she told him quickly. “I want you to stop writing to me, Robert.”

Callaghan flinched. “You used to call me dad,” he muttered.

His daughter’s eyes flared with anger and hurt. “Then you know why I stopped doing it then.”

“Abigail,” Callaghan began. He paused for a moment so he could wipe the sweat from his brow. He could feel her piercing glare burning down on him. “… I’m sorry.”

“Oh, that makes me feel better,” Abigail commented sarcastically. “That automatically undoes all the damages you’ve done to SFIT, Krei Tech, and the Hamada family.”

“I didn’t mean for all those things to happen,” Callaghan protested weakly. “I just wanted justice…”

“Bullcrap, that wasn’t justice,” Abigail hissed. “You stole a boy’s invention and used the same portal—where I got lost inside—to take revenge. I don’t even know you anymore!”

“Abigail, please understand,” the former professor begged. “I was a desperate man, I did what I had to do because you’re everything to me and when you were gone, all I had left was the pain.”

Silence fell between them.

“So did Hiro Hamada when you took his brother away from him,” Abigail said in a stiff voice.

Callaghan winced, remembering how cruel he was to Hiro and told him his brother’s heroic sacrifice was Tadashi’s mistake. Tadashi was his favorite student, he was brilliant in his classes and he was building a medical robot to help people. He was too idealistic and selfless for his own good but Callaghan liked him enough and wanted to be his mentor since he saw so much potential in him. But in the end, he didn’t care for his death enough or even showed remorse for his actions that caused it until it was too late.

 _That idiot still shouldn’t have run into the building to save me,_ he thought bitterly. _What was he thinking?_

“Alistair Krei told me that the mysterious superhero who saved me was Hiro,” Abigail lowered her voice. “He risked his life to save me, but you couldn’t do the same thing to save his brother.”

Callaghan lowered his gaze, feeling the guilt weighing heavily down at his shoulders. Abigail inhaled deeply before changing the subject.

“I’m moving away from San Fransokyo,” she told him. The news surprised him.

“When?” he asked, eyes widen.

“My flight leaves tomorrow,” Abigail replied, looking away from him. “I’m sorry for not telling you this sooner but I’ve had enough enduring so many calls and the press asking questions about how I felt that my own father was a famous scientist became a criminal. I’m getting away from all that. I’ve already said my goodbyes to Alistair as well…”

“I really am sorry, Abigail,” Callaghan whispered sadly. He wanted to say something to stop her from leaving but it was useless.

Abigail took one last look at her father one last time. Her eyes were already streaming with tears.

“Goodbye, Da…” she stopped and corrected herself. “Robert.”

Then without another word, she got up and left the room. Callaghan regretfully buried his face into his hands.

* * *

Callaghan crumpled up his letters in frustration and threw down on the floor. Not only he lost his life and career, but he lost his daughter’s respect. He wished Hiro Hamada should have killed him…

His thoughts were interrupted by a grating accordion music that seemed to come from the next cell. Prisoners began shouting for whoever’s playing it to shut up. Every night, one of the Banzai Brothers would play loud music with his accordion. Unfortunately, he’s not very good and the noise irritates both prisoners and guards.

Then Dominguez’s gruff voice was heard over the shouting and music.

“ _Hay nako_ …KOMEIJI! If you don’t stop playing, I’ll use my prosthetic leg and give you a proper smacking with it!”

“You’re just jealous because I can play it while you can’t, bro!”Komeiji shouted back. He began to play his accordion louder.

Then the music came to abrupt stop. Sounds of heavy bodies scuffling and throwing around were heard.

“Oi! Quit hitting me, bro!” Komeiji yelled.

Soon, several guards arrived to break up the fight. One of them swiped their card, the bars slide open, and the guards managed to pull apart the Banzai Brothers.

“Alright, it’s solitary for you, Dominguez!” The chief guard shouted. “Put him in the chamber!”

From his cell, Callaghan watched Dominguez being dragged away while Komeiji hammed up his sobs.

_“Give back bro, we were just playing around!”_

* * *

It was past midnight when two visitors sneakily approached the barbed fence surrounding Jigoku Prison. One of them is Fujita and the other is her partner, who appears to be a man wearing a dark, formfitting ninja-inspired attire and a headgear concealing his face that which gives him an appearance of a Kabuki theater stagehand. He is called Karasu. For weeks, using disguises and with the help of someone working on the inside, Karasu was able to spy and figure out how to break into Jigoku Prison.

Pinned to their clothes is a brass coin with a symbol of a white chrysanthemum on it. The same coin Hiro picked up after Big Hero 6’s battle with the Banzai Brothers.

Fujita is carrying a small backpack which contains something she would use once she reaches inside the prison. She reached inside her kimono and pulled out a perfume bottle. She sprayed at the fence and the acid began melting away the iron barbs. Now the fence is weakened enough, Fujita then summoned her weapon—a retractable iron fan. She sliced an opening into the fence with ease.

“Stay down,” Karasu whispered to her in a deep, cool voice.

Fujita nodded and remain hidden behind the bushes. Karasu crept towards the fence while keeping an eye on a guard tower in the distance. Up ahead is the back of the prison. Karasu reached into his pocket and pulled out a black daruma robot.

After activating it, he placed the tiny robot on the ground and let it roll forward, using its hidden metal scanner to detect the land mines. He and Fujita then quickly and carefully stepped through the small field, avoided triggering any land mine by following a safe route created by the darumabot.

Karasu picked up the darumabot and pocketed it.

“We only have one chance to do this,” Fujita told him. “If we fail, it’s all over for us.”

* * *

The chamber is a padded room with no windows, sound-proof, and the air inside is extremely cold. This is where rowdy prisoners who break rules or went out of line to be put in and some can be stayed there for weeks.

Dominguez paced around the dark, tiny room when he heard radio static. It was coming from earring which is actually a device used to communicated with his comrades. He was lucky the guards did not take them.

“Dominguez, this is Fujita,” he heard a woman’s voice. We’ll be sneaking inside through the infirmary at the northeastern area. Karasu and I will arrive at the D-Block in twenty minutes.”

“Got it,” Dominguez said. “You heard what she said, Komeiji?”

“Yup, bro,” Komeiji’s voice heard. He appeared to be grunting. “I’m travelling upwards inside the ventilation right now.”

“Well, hurry up. Remember our plan.”

He went to the corner of the chamber, takes out a knife hidden inside his clothes and began slicing apart a weak-looking pad. After pulling it apart, it revealed a wooden wall. He then used his tough prosthetic leg to break through the wall.

Then he quickly stepped outside, free, into the prison laundry room. He hurried over to one of the baskets, sifted through the blankets until he found a bag containing ammunition rounds. He bent over to open his prosthetic leg—a mini version of an m79 grenade launcher fell out.

* * *

Komeiji continued climbing inside the vents until he reached the roof. He breathes in the cool fresh air for a moment before he looked around the area. He found a burlap bag sitting nearby and he pulled out a bazooka gun and a rocket jetpack from inside it.

“Yessss,” he grinned. Then he fire the bazooka at the guard towers. “Boom, baby! Boom!”

* * *

Fujita and Karasu climbed into the infirmary at the top floor and someone was there to meet them. The two thought it was the prison doctor, but the man removed his white coat, curly black hair, and round thick-framed glasses in a flourish manner to reveal short, baby-faced man with a blond bowl cut and wearing a colorful pinstriped suit. On his suit is the same brass chrysanthemum coin like the ones Fujita and Karasu have.

It was their spy who had infiltrated the prison months ago and pretended to be a doctor who helped them find access and set up other things for their prison break-in plans.

 _“Konbanwaaa~!”_ The man greeted them in a childish voice. He has the flair of a TV show host. “Welcome to the Super Sparkle Challenge Hour coming to you live from Jigoku Penitentiary.”

“Mr. Sparkles, thanks for setting everything up,” Fujita smirked.

“You can congratulate me later,” he giggled. “In a few minutes, smoke will be coming out from the vents thanks our comrade Komeiji’s help. I’m so glad he’s available _to-back-ya_ up! Wee-heehehehee!”

He laughed at his own corny pun while Fujita and Karasu. Mr. Sparkles eyes went wide when he saw Karasu.

“And you must be the dashing Karasu,” he exclaimed and shook Karasu’s hand. “We’ve exchanged information before but this is our first time meeting~!”

“I’ll meet you in the D-Block in fifteen minutes,” Karasu told them. He then dashed out from the infirmary.

At that moment, they heard something like loud booms in the distance.

“Komeiji must have started already,” Fujita stated.

Mr. Sparkles then hurried to his cabinet and pulled out several glass jars filled with clear-looking liquids.

“This is trimethyl borate,” he explained to her. “I’ve been secretly making these while I was staying here. You’re going to see some colorful fire~”

“Whatever,” Fujita said, rolling her eyes. “Just as long you can cover our tracks.”

* * *

After separating from Mr. Sparkles, Fujita zoomed through the prison. With her rollerblades, she was like the wind where nothing can stop her. A lone guard saw her.

“An intruder just broke in--!” he cried into his radio but before he could finish, Fujita cuts him down with her metal fan.

Inside a monitor room, a guard saw the geisha intruder on one of the surveillance cameras. Before the can sound the alarm, he saw on the other video cameras that the infirmary was burning in bright, green flames, and the Banzai Brother Komeiji out of his and blowing things up outside

“Attention, all officers! We got a fire at the infirmary!” he yelled into the speakers. “And there’s an intruder going through A-Block! Those near A and B-Blocks, apprehend her! The others, stop the Banzai Brothers--!”

An explosion broke out behind him and the guard crumpled to the floor. Dominguez stepped into the room through the door he destroyed, grinning like a madman.

“Ayo~!” he called out. Then he shot a grenade at the monitors and it exploded.

* * *

The siren rang out through the entire prison. Every prisoner was awake and waiting for an explanation. Guards ran everywhere to stop the chaos but it was a futile attempt.

On the first floor, several guards, half of them carrying fire extinguishers, hurried to the stairs where the can douse the fire and save the doctor (who they are not aware is a spy working with the intruder). They noticed thick smoke began coming out from the vents, they paused—coughing in confusion. Then they heard the sound of a door opening and they turned to see Karasu coming out of the basement. It seemed he had found some way to open it and spent some time in the basement doing something important.

“Freeze! Don’t move!” One of the guards shouted, pulling a taser while his colleagues pulled out batons.

Karasu pressed a button in his belt. He activated a cloaking device which renders him partial-invisible. Before the guards realize what just happened, Karasu shot a metal rope at the holding the taser and pull them down. He snatched the taser from the guard’s hand and, with the skills of a martial artist, zapped and knocked all the guards swiftly.

* * *

Fujita arrived at D-Block and the prisoners are going wild when they heard the news of the prison break-in. The chief guard and his men have been waiting for her arrival, and he took out his gun.

“Your visit ends here, lady!” he yelled before he fired at her.

Fujita missed the bullet, her lips curved into a cruel smile. With a movement of a koi fish, she threw her metal fan like it was a magnetic boomerang. It sliced the chief guard’s throat. He fell dead and a pool of blood began to form under him. Fujita grabbed her fan back and she smirked at the guards, who are now terrified from her presence.

“I know her! Sh-she’s one of the Fujitas!” a guard shrieked.

Just then, the ceiling collapsed from an explosion and the debris fell on the guards, burying all of them. Komeiji flew in and smiled when he saw Fujita.

“Yuriko baby!” he squealed. “I didn’t know you were coming to save me! Gimme a sweet kiss!”

Fujita slapped him and he yelped in pain.

“That was for my sisters, you swine!” she hissed. Then she slapped him again. “And that’s for almost killing me after you destroyed the ceiling! Be careful where you aim!”

Soon, Dominguez and Mr. Sparkles join them. Mr. Sparkles is wearing some sort of gas mask and carrying a flamethrower in his hand.

“I thought you came here with someone,” Dominguez said, looking around for Fujita's partner. “Where’s the other guy?”

“He’ll be here soon,” Fujita replied. “He’s got a special assignment from the boss.”

Mr. Sparkles went up to the switch and pulled out a microphone.

“Attention, prisoners of D-Block,” his amplified boomed. “You are given a chance of a lifetime to escape this hellhole and join us. You are allowed to stay behind but I must warn you, this whole place will burn up in a matter of minutes. So you don’t really have much of a choice anyways.”

The prisoners erupted into screams. “Let us out! Yes, we’ll join you!”

Mr. Sparkles then flipped the switch and every bars opened. The prisoners ran out of their cells, screaming wildly in joy. Komeiji and Dominguez teamed up together and blasted a huge wall in the wall. Mr. Sparkles began pouring and splashing more trimethyl borate all over the floor and walls before setting them on fire.

As the inmates began exiting through the hole, only Callaghan remained behind. He had been watching with horrified curiosity at how brutal the criminals are, working together to break the prisoners out. However, he did not wish to stay and die here. Before he can leave, he was suddenly kicked back into his cell. His head hit the wall and he groaned in pain.

“Not so fast, Professor,” Karasu said dangerously as he closed the bars him, trapping Callaghan alone with him. “I got a few questions to ask you...”

Police helicopters and ferries were called for backup and when they arrived, they saw the entire D-Block of Jigokue Prison covered in orange and green flames. It was as a horrifying sight, it was as though they have arrived in Hell.

After many hours dousing the fire and evacuating the other prisoners and surviving guard staff, the police tried to find the D-Block inmates and the intruders but no traces of them where found anywhere in Yomi Island. It was as though they have mysteriously vanished into thin air.

The only prisoner who did not manage to escape was Callaghan. His body was found dead inside his cell. His face was covered in bruises, implied that someone gave him a beating, and his hands were tied together behind his back to prevent him from escaping. Despite the wounds, his true death was confirmed to be smoke inhalation, as though someone who attacked him left him to die. Lying next to him is a white chrysanthemum flower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Welp, Callaghan gets killed off, but why? And who are these mysterious people?))


	6. He Has His Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and his friends went to the trade fair and meet Dr. Ishioka where Hiro learns some interesting about his brother.

**Chapter 5**

The day of the trade fair finally came.  Hiro doesn’t need to attend classes that Friday so he spent the morning getting his messy hair groomed by Aunt Cass. He fussed how she used copious amounts of gel to comb his hair back and she did not stop until his hair was smooth. As for his clothes, Aunt Cass picked out a small blazer, a vest, and skinny formal pants. Since the event is rather formal she wanted him to look his best. Hiro doesn’t mind the clothes but the over-groomed hairstyle he can live without.

“My hair looks ridiculous,” he complained. Aunt Cass shushed him. She was beaming with pride and nostalgia.

“You look like a spitting image of your father!” she clapped her hands.

“I thought Tadashi resembled dad the most,” Hiro muttered. He then checked the time and realized he better get going since it’s half an hour until the trade fair opens. He grabbed a small backpack filled with something to impress his friends after the fair. “I’ll see you later, Aunt Cass.”

His aunt pulled Hiro close and wrapped her arms around him.

“Last hug,” she said. Hiro did the same before stepping out with Baymax.

As soon they saw their leader, his friends tried to suppress their laughter when they came to pick him up. All of them are wearing formal clothes as well, though Fred kept his beanie on.

“Nice… hair,” Wasabi smirked. His lips were tight and trembling as thought he was trying not to let a single chuckle escape.

Fred could not hold back any longer and he ended up laughing. Honey smacked his shoulder.

“Don’t l-laugh at him, F-Freddie!” she scolded him. Yet she covered her mouth with her hand and she burst into tiny giggles.

Hiro’s face went scarlet.

“Oh, shaddup! You-- you guys suck!” Hiro shouted at them. He grumbled under his breath and loaded Baymax's portable red suitcase inside Wasabi's van. He climbed inside and waited for the van to drive away from the Lucky Cat café.

During the ride to SFIT, Hiro tussled his hair back to its original, messy state. He then noticed the group is missing a single person.

“Hey, where’s Gogo? Did she already went ahead to the trade fair?” he asked curiously.

“She called me earlier,” Honey replied. “She said she’s staying home today because of a cold.”

“Huh. She looked healthy the day before,” Fred commented.

Wasabi stopped at a red light. “Maybe she's stressed from all the schoolwork piled on top of her superhero duty,” he said. "Lebur did gave us a huge load this week."

“It’s not that hard to juggle both school and superhero work,” Hiro shrugged nonchalantly. 

He didn’t seem to notice the awkward glances his friends are giving to him. Honey changed the topic.

“Speaking of stress, did you get enough sleep last night?” she asked.

Hiro yawned, “Of course not, I’m a college student.”

“Hiro went to bed at 4 AM. He had one REM cycle of three hours,” Baymax spoke up from inside his suitcase before Hiro could answer. “The amount of sleep recommended for patients of Hiro’s age should be at least eight hours of sleep--”

“Gimme a break, I was working,” Hiro grumbled.

“What have you been doing, little man?” Fred asked. “Heathcliff told me you and Baymax took your suits for some patrolling.”

“I did. I’m trying to find the eighty-four inmates who escaped from Jigoku Prison,” Hiro explained. “Or at least the Banzai Brothers. Baymax had scanned them before and I’m relying on his enhanced scanners.”

“And you spent ALL night looking for criminals who disappeared without a trace?” asked Wasabi in an incredulous tone.

“Of course not! I came home around midnight so I can work on the prototype of the upgraded super suits for me and Baymax.”

“So, where are you keeping the suits?” Fred asked. “Back at your garage?”

Hiro smiled. “I’m wearing mine.”

The whole car went quiet.

“I meant, I’m wearing it under my clothes!” Hiro explained.

“Ohhhh!” Honey and Wasabi said in understanding.

“And I’ve upgraded Baymax’s suitcase to become his armor in case of an emergency.”

Fred was enthusiastic. “That’s so cool!” he exclaimed. “When do we get to see it and your new suit?”

“After the trade fair,” Hiro replied.

“Hiro.” Honey’s voice was soft and full of concern. “You heard what happened to Callaghan, right?”

The young genius knew what she was trying to say. A year ago, Hiro removed Baymax's nursechip and ordered the robot to destroy Callaghan. Honey and the others managed to retrieve his chip and stopped Baymax. It was only after watching the recordings of Tadashi’s videos that Hiro’s hate and desire for revenge had disappeared. In fact, if it weren’t for his friends’ quick actions and Baymax’s recordings, Hiro would have fallen into the same road of darkness Callaghan had taken.

“Yeah, I have,” Hiro mumbled, glancing out the window.

Fred coughed and shifted his nervous eyes. “We understand if you’re still angry at him…”

“I don’t know how to feel about what happened to him,” Hiro said in a loud voice. “He was responsible for what happened to Tadashi, and I did try to kill him before. But… I understand what he went through but it’s not like I’m going to forgive him!”

“No one’s asking you to do that, man!” Wasabi said quickly, his eyes widen.

Hiro leaned back against seat and stared out the window. “Maybe a small part of me still holds a grudge against him, but Callaghan doesn’t deserve to die like that.”

Honey gently rubbed his shoulder in empathy. Hiro quietly thanked her.

“Then who do you think might have done it?” she asked.

“I have theories. It was probably someone who got hurt because of him,” Fred wondered out loud. “He might have many enemies now that his identity as a supervillain has been revealed.”

“I’m just thinking what Abigail would think once she learns what happened to her father,” Honey murmured in worry. “You don’t think she would seek revenge like Callaghan did before?”

“I’m not sure, we haven’t heard anything from her for a long time,” Hiro said.

* * *

The gang finally arrived at SFIT campus. After parking the van, everyone pinned their badges on and made their way to the new exhibition hall. In front of the steps is a sign that reads “Tadashi Hamada Exhibition Hall”. Hiro held his breath as he walked past sign without looking and entered through the glass doors. The main lobby was filled with business entrepreneurs and other important-looking people. The gang clearly saw that they’re mingling with a different crowd.

“Where do we go next?” Hiro asked, glancing up to his friends..

Wasabi takes out the schedule of all the trade fair events. “Let’s see… we’re supposed to go past the main hall,” he said as he skimmed though the pamphlet.

“Hey, isn’t that Yasuo?” Honey spoke up. She had been looking over the crowd and spotted the frail teenager in the midst of it; he appeared lost.

“YO, YASUO!!” Fred shouted, several people nearby glared at him for being loud and rude.

Yasuo jumped after hearing someone shouting his name. He looked for the person who called him until he saw Hiro and his friends waving at him. Yasuo looked forlorn, though his face lit up quickly on seeing some familiar faces. He came over and everyone could see he’s dressed in a Japanese school uniform while carrying a sling bag over his shoulder. Hiro recognized the uniform from a private high school near his neighborhood. He had never stepped a foot into that school, but he heard it is where a majority of Japanese children would attend, though there has been exceptions like Wasabi’s sister.

“H-Hello,” Yasuo greeted them. He’s still shy just like the first time Hiro met him. “I forgot you were coming…”

“We can’t miss out meeting the famous Dr. Ishioka,” Fred grinned. At the scientist’s name, Yasuo fidgeted and everyone noticed it.

“What’s wrong?” Hiro asked.

Before Yasuo can reply, another familiar face appeared. It was Krei’s beautiful, bespectacled assistant.

“There you are,” she sighed as she approached Yasuo. “I’ve been all over the place looking for you.”

Yasuo uttered a tiny apology. Krei’s assistant saw Hiro’s group and she immediately recognized them.

“You’re that boy with the microbots last year,” she said.

“And you’re that lady who’s with Krei,” Hiro said. “How’s Mr. Krei…?”

“He’s attending the Ishioka Showcase on the second floor,” Krei’s assistant told him. “If you’re all going there, I can take you. I’ll even let you meet Dr. Ishioka himself for a couple of minutes.” She turned to Yasuo. “Your father asked me to bring you to him. I have to warn you…”

But Hiro and his friends didn’t hear the rest of the words. They looked at one another, perplexed, when they heard what the assistant had just said and they huddled around.

 _“Did she say ‘father’?”_  Fred said in a whisper.

 _“I didn’t know Mr. Krei is married,”_  Honey said, just as surprised as him.

The four secret superheroes glanced at Yasuo who was now walking ahead of them. They tried to mentally pictured Krei and Yasuo standing next to each other, but they realized neither of them resemble each other at all; not even sharing a tiny physical trait together. The thought of Yasuo inheriting Krei’s long, pointy nose horrified the team.

 _“Maybe he’s adopted,”_  Wasabi muttered.

The group followed Krei’s assistant to the elevator. Baymax kept close to Hiro’s by wheeling along in his red suitcase. Wasabi couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow.

“I thought the showcase will be taking in the first floor like the other events,” Wasabi asked the assistant.

“We had to switch to another room,” Krei’s assistant said as she pressed the second floor button after everybody piled in. “Everybody’s getting edgy since morning.”

* * *

The elevator stopped at the second floor. Everybody walked down a hall until they took a turn and then opened a door. The room is huge and there are hundreds of chairs were placed in rows in front of a stage. Near the entrance is a long table filled with refreshments.

“Alright, free food!” Fred drooled greedily. Wasabi held him back.

Krei’s assistant led the group to the back room behind the stage. As soon as they entered, they found Krei talking to a middle-aged Japanese man. In the corner is a pair of human-sized objects covered in cloth to prevent anyone taking a peek.

“Your son’s here, Dr. Ishioka,” the assistant said.

“Long time no see, Krei,” Hiro greeted the Krei Tech ceo.

Krei’s eyes widen with surprise. He looked tired, perhaps due to stress.

“Hiro! I’m glad to see you again,” he said with a tiny smile. “And I didn’t realize you and your friends are attending the show. I was telling Daichi here all about you.”

Honey, Fred, and Wasabi were all relieved to hear Yasuo isn’t related to Krei at all. Hiro found himself shuddering in awe as he stood in the presence of a famous robotics scientist. Dr. Daichi Ishioka is a tall distinguished-looking man with hair as dark as his eyes. His mustache and beard are well-trimmed. He is outfitted in an attire of someone who looks professional and cool at the same time; tailored pants and an ash-colored blazer over a black turtleneck. His pose exuded an aura of authority, intelligence and power.

“Thank you, Miss Candace,” Ishioka said with a warm smile. He placed a hand on Yasuo’s thin shoulder. “Will you excuse me? I want to have a word with my son.”

“Go right ahead,” Krei nodded.

Ishioka then took Yasuo to the side, distancing from the others. His expression was unreadable. Yasuo clutched the strap of his bag tight and he seemed to be shrinking under Ishioka’s gaze. Even the air between them is strangely cold and ominous. Despite trying to keep their voices low, their conversation is still heard.

 _“I’m sorry, dad,”_  Yasuo began speaking in Japanese.

 _“Yasuo, you should be at school,”_  Ishioka said in the same language. He sounded and behaved rather aloof to his son.

Only Hiro and Honey, who can speak and understand Japanese, were able to understand what they’re saying. Both of them noticed how Yasuo is more confident when speaking in another language.

 _“I wasn’t… feeling well during physical education,”_  Yasuo explained in a feeble voice. Then he added something in a mumble which is almost hard to hear.

Hiro wished he was more fluent in Japanese and he tried to make out what Yasuo is saying. Was he talking about going full speed?

 _“Are you sure you’re not faking any sickness to skip classes again?”_  Ishioka asked, crossing his arms. His tone became stern and suspicious. Yasuo shrank back a little.  _“You’re too old to be home-schooled. Either you go to school or I’m sending you back to Jiyugaoka.”_

Yasuo dropped his head, staring at the floor as though he wished he could sink into it. 

Ishioka narrowed his eyes at his son. “We’ll talk more when we get home,” he said, speaking in English again.

He left Yasuo standing alone so he can return to the others. His attitude has shifted to a warm, friendly manner.

“I'm sorry you had to see me like that,” he apologized. “My son and I moved to San Fransokyo a month ago and he’s still adjusting.”

“That’s alright,” Krei said. “He’s young, he’ll get used to it eventually.”

Dr. Ishioka looked over to Hiro and his friends. “Forgive me, but who are these people exactly?” he asked Krei.

“These are students attending the school. I’ve known them for a while,” Krei answered. “The youngest is Hiro Hamada.”

Ishioka welcomed Hiro and his friends with a smile and bowed politely. The team returned the same gesture.

“So you’re the famous child prodigy Alistair has been talking about,” said Ishioka. He was looking at Hiro with mild interest. “I was one like you. I graduated from a university at age 13.”

“No way!” Hiro gasped.

Fred nudged Hiro from behind. “Hey, Hiro. Show him the thing.”

“Oh! Right, um…” Hiro said, embarrassed. He began scratching his head much to Ishioka’s confusion. In his excitement to meet the scientist, Hiro has forgotten what he was supposed to do until he saw Baymax’s red suitcase wheeling up to his side. “Um, D-Dr. Ishioka… I heard you like robots… And, um… I want to show you something I think is pretty cool…”

“We don’t have time,” Krei’s assistant spoke up. “Dr. Ishioka’s show will begin in fifteen minutes.”

Ishioka raised a hand for her to be quiet. “I can spare a few minutes for future inventors and scientists,” he told her. He clasped his hands together and waited for Hiro.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Hiro said. He took a deep breath and uttered, “Ow!”

Baymax’s suitcase rolled forward and the balloon nursebot inflated. He waved at everyone.

“Hello, I am Baymax,” he greeted in his usually soft, electronic voice.

“Baymax...?” Ishioka repeated in surprise. “As in Tadashi Hamada’s ‘Baymax’?”

“Wait, what?” Hiro blinked. “You know my brother?”

“Hold on, your last name is 'Hamada', right? So, that means…” Ishioka stared at Hiro and a lightbulb went on inside his head.

“So, you’re Tadashi’s little brother! He mentioned you once!” Ishioka was intrigued and his face lit up with delight. “Yes, I knew your brother. He was such a bright young man. I’ve helped him with this robot’s medical programming before.”

Hiro became stunned. Tadashi not only knew Dr. Ishioka but has met him before. Why didn’t his big brother tell him about it before? And how long has he known about Ishioka?

Ishioka walked up to Baymax and pressed his hand against the robot’s vinyl skin.

“I can’t believe Tadashi actually finished his dream project," said Ishioka as he walked around the nursebot. He kept talking to Hiro while his eyes fixed on studying Baymax. “He had this idea of mass-producing caregiver robots that could help the sick and injured. He used to talk to me about Baymax’s potential all the time. I didn't expect to see him looking so huggable.”

Hiro chuckled along with Ishioka. The scientist shot a glance at the red suitcase Baymax came out from. “I'm guessing that box works as both transportation and charger for the robot?"

"Yup." Hiro's grin was awkward and he was sweating like bullets. He tried to remember every detail Tadashi told him about Baymax.

"What kind of battery does Baymax run on?”

“He used to run on lithium ion,” Hiro answered quickly. “But I switched to super-capacitors so he can charge faster--”

“You’re right, super-capacitors would charge much faster than lithium-ion batteries,” Ishioka interrupted him. “However, they would also discharge faster. I suggest putting back the Li-ion batteries as a secondary power source, for long-term power as well as short-term.”

Ishioka stared at Baymax as he rubbed his beard, deep in thought. 

“Hyperspectral cameras,” he noticed Baymax’s eyes. “To scan patients for medical diagnosis?”

“Yeah,” Hiro nodded. He saw that Ishioka is clearly impressed with Baymax’s design and ability. “He can go as far as hundred feet.”  _And more with enhanced scanners from his helmet,_  he added in a thought.

“Incredible. Is it alright if he scans me?”

Hiro nodded at his robot. “Go right ahead, Baymax.”

Baymax stepped in front of Ishioka. “Scan complete. Your blood type is AB. You have no physical injuries, and your vitals are normal. However, you have some high levels of carbon dioxide in your blood and your lungs are slightly inflamed from inhaling tobacco.”

“I usually smoke while working on a new invention,” Ishioka chortled. “I like you, Baymax. I can already see you being popular in hospitals.”

“He’s not just suited for hospital use,” Hiro said. “A medical robot like him could be used in ambulances; you would only need a paramedic and a driver. And because he’s big, he’d be excellent for crowd control.” Hiro smiled at Baymax’s direction. “He’s going to be helping a lot of people, just like Tadashi would have wanted…”

Ishioka’s expression became solemn. “I’m sorry to hear what happened to him. A young genius like that shouldn’t been taken away so early. So many unfulfilled potential…”

He sighed before turning to Hiro. 

“What about you, Hiro? Have you made any inventions of your own?”

“Well, I have several projects I’ve been working on at my school,” Hiro replied shyly. “The best one I made are the microbots which I entered at the showcase last year… before that fire happened.”

“Alistair told me about your microbots,” Ishioka said, glancing briefly at Krei. “They were stolen and destroyed, weren’t they?”

“Well, not all…” Hiro’s shifted. “Some had been returned to me and I’ve been meaning to make some adjustments to them...”

“I would love to see them,” Ishioka told him. He then hands a business card to Hiro. “I have a personal lab at my home here in the city. You should stop by for a visit so we can talk more.”

Hiro couldn’t believe his ears. “Really?”

“I want to get to know more about you since you’re the creator of the famous microbots, and Tadashi Hamada’s little brother. I can tell you’re ready to shape the future of technology.” The scientist smiled and shook Hiro’s hand. His dark eyes have a strange glint in them and his tone is mysterious. “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Hiro Hamada.”

Krei checked his watch. “Well, Daichi, it’s almost time for your show to start. Let’s not make your public wait.”

Dr. Ishioka, Krei and his assistant left the group. Hiro’s friends gathered around the genius, ecstatic to see that their meeting went well.

“Did you see how he looked and talked about Baymax?” Wasabi said. “He looked like a kid in a candy shop!”

“And he used to a kid genius too!” Fred exclaimed. “No wonder he finds our Hiro interesting!”

“Yes,” Yasuo said as he slowly approached the gang. He forced a smile but his eyes are filled with loneliness and sorrow. Hiro recognized it when somebody was trying to hide how hurt they actually felt in the inside. “You really got my dad’s attention, Hamada.”

“Um… thanks? I’ve been looking forward meeting him,” Hiro said, feeling reluctant. He couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Yasuo walked up to Baymax and the two stared at each other.

“Your robot’s kinda cool,” he said to Hiro, keeping his eyes on the nursebot. “But what kind of emotions can he feel?”

The question took Hiro off-guard. “Emotions?”

“I am programmed to detect distress and other emotions from my patients and respond accordingly,” Baymax told Yasuo.

However, the boy shook his head.

“In my dad’s book  _Humanized Robotics and AI Theory_ ,” he began, “machines can be programmed to mimic feelings.  But to create a conscious emotion, they would need to feel in their own way and have a desire to do something. You can create the most human-looking robot to protect a single person, or even respond differently to the first person they see… But love, pain, and anger can’t be artificially replicated. Robots will always bond by the code created for them.”

Hiro placed his hands on his wasted, raising an eyebrow at Yasuo.

“True, but I think Baymax is plenty of human already,” he said defensively.

“But Hiro, I am a robot,” Baymax spoke up. “I am not made of flesh and blood.”

"That's right, buddy. But you don't need any of those to be special." Hiro walked up to Baymax and touched the nursebot’s soft body. Filled with gratitude, Hiro beamed at Baymax.

“Baymax did so many things for me,” he smiled while he talked to Yasuo. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here today. He's my best friend.”

Yasuo listened to Hiro and his lips formed into a genuine smile, the first time Hiro saw him do that. Hiro became awe-stricken by how different Yasuo appeared; he looked so sweet and alive like golden sunshine after several nonstop rainy days.

And then like a bolt of lightning, Hiro is hit by a sense of familiarity coming from Yasuo. A blurry image of a hospital room etched into his mind…

“Excuse me, have we met before?” Hiro asked.

Yasuo grew startled by the sudden question that he blushed and fidgeted nervously.

“S-sorry! Did I say or do something?” he squeaked in panic.

“Hey, it’s alright. I just wanna know--”

"Oh no! W-we don't wanna miss my dad's showcase!"

Yasuo ignored him. In his hurry, he brushed past Hiro, Baymax, and his friends, avoiding any eye contact with them. Hiro tried to think what his brother would do in this situation and he stepped forward.

“San Fransokyo isn’t so bad,” he called out. He put on an optimistic smile to cheer him up. “Just give it another month.”

Yasuo stopped and looked at Hiro again. He's blinking slowly as though his brain was trying to process what he just heard. He then walked away again as he held his bag closer to him.

The gang didn’t know what to make of this. They heard an announcement that the show will begin in a few minutes which made them quickly leave the back room. Baymax went back into suitcase and rolled after them.

* * *

Hiro and his friends wanted to grab early seats in the front row to get a closer look at Ishioka’s new invention. When they came out, they found Professor Lebur—who is also attending the showcase—who has assigned them to seats far at the back.

“Only important people can sit in the front. And that happens to be me, since I’m the teacher,” he stated, pointing a haughty thumb against his chest.

“Professor Lebur, do you know what happened to Gogo?” Honey asked him. “She's supposed to come here with us.”

Profess Lebur sneered. “Miss Sang-hua Park won’t be joining us today,” he averted his nasty-looking eyes. “She’s been doing poorly in her classes so she had to give up her badge. Maybe if she had put more effort into her studies rather than her disgusting bubblegum and maglev bike, she wouldn’t miss out so much.”

Honey's jaw dropped in shock, as well as the others. Wasabi cast a dirty glance at Lebur after he sauntered off sit at the front row.

“If he weren’t a teacher…” Wasabi fumed, especially how Lebur insulted Gogo like that.

“Chill, man,” Fred calmed the buff neatnik down. He knew his friend well enough to know he's strong enough to break a person's both nose and face in one punch. Instead of goading Wasabi on, Fred switched the subject. “Gogo’s a smart girl.” He hoped invoking Gogo's name might stir Wasabi away from Lebur.

“I thought she didn’t want to come because she was sick today,” Honey said, her voice filled with worry.

“Who says I wasn’t coming today?” a familiar voice chimed in.

Heads turned to see a familiar girl with purple streaks in her raven hair. Gogo is dressed in a blazer jacket over a nice blouse and a pleated skirt for the showcase, which is not usually her style but Hiro thought she looked cute.

“Gogo!” Honey smiled with relief when she saw her friend. “You came after all--we thought you weren't coming! When did you arrive?”

“Long enough to see Fred stopping Wasabi from punching a teacher’s lights out.” Gogo pops her bubblegum. She joins to sit with her friends on last row of chairs in the back. She appears exhausted, as though she didn't get enough sleep but there was some sense of relief and satisfaction washed over her face. She stretches out her body as she gets comfortable sitting in the chair.

“It was so nice of you to defend my honor, Wasabi," Gogo teased him.

Wasabi blushed and sputtered. “I don’t like the way he talked about you like that.”

Honey leaned closer. “Gogo, are you really doing badly in your classes?” she asked, confused by her friend’s behavior.

“I’m not!” Gogo denied, avoiding Honey’s eyes. “I just needed to turn in a paper this morning so I can attend this showcase.”

“But… why did you say you were staying home with a cold?” Fred questioned.

“Just be quiet,” Gogo snapped. Then she turned to Hiro. “So, how was your first meeting with Dr. Ishioka went, Hiro?”

“He seemed rather nice, a bit intimidating at first. But he was impressed with Baymax,” Hiro told her. “Ishioka knew my big brother since he had a hand in Baymax’s creation.”

“Really? This is news to me.” Gogo’s eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. “Tadashi never told us about meeting Dr. Ishioka before.”

“He never told me about it either,” Hiro said slowly. He thought about his promise to Tadashi. “I don’t know why he never did…”

“Maybe he has his reasons, Hiro,” Honey stated.

“But I’m his brother!”

The lights dimmed and the audience has their eyes glued eagerly on the stage. A speaker began talking about Ishioka and his accomplishments in the past year while the scientist quietly sat in his chair, waiting for his chance to talk about his invention, which happens to be hidden under the cloth that Hiro had seen in the back room.

Hiro then noticed Yasuo sitting down into a vacant chair in the next couple of rows in front of them. Yasuo didn’t seem to notice the gang or if he did, he didn’t care.

“I didn’t know he was coming too,” Gogo commented as soon she saw Yasuo.

“Do you remember Mirin’s friend, Yasuo?” Hiro asked her. “Well, Ishioka is his dad!”

“That kid we had lunch with one time? I wonder why he didn’t tell us we’re attending his dad’s showcase.”

“Well…” Hiro paused. He thought about that moment where he saw Ishioka scolding Yasuo for skipping classes because of some unknown illness, whether he faked it or not. He decided not to tell Gogo about it since it’s rather personal to Yasuo. “… Maybe he has his reasons.”

“I’ve scanned Yasuo earlier,” Baymax spoke from his suitcase. The gang looked to him. “He appears to be suffering from bronchial asthma as well as anemia.”

“Oooh, no wonder he says he wasn’t feeling good in P.E.” Honey said in a low voice. “Poor kid.”

Hiro wasn’t listening to her nor the speaker’s speech. He was still absorbed with his thoughts; he doesn’t understand why Tadashi never told him about Ishioka before. He invented Baymax to help people and he showed him off to his little brother. Maybe he was going to tell Hiro more about Baymax’s creation when he enrolled in SFIT, or he forgot about it. Hiro thought of that night when he first visited the college and then something sparked inside it.

 _Come to think of it,_ he thought. _He never told me his teacher is Professor Callaghan either._ Tadashi had studied in that nerd school for nearly two years and not once he mentioned to Hiro that he’s studying under a well-renowned scientist. Hiro doesn’t know why he didn’t think about it before, he was just so anxious to get into the college and expand his talent.

 _But not learning about Tadashi meeting two famous scientists is really that a big deal_ …? Hirp pondered, crossing his arms. _It does sting, but it’s not like he would do that on purpose. Tadashi is just human…_

Hiro thought back to his promises where he and his friends will help and protect people, and then eventually start his own technology company to make all-kinds of inventions in Tadashi’s memory. He wanted to continue sticking to them even though he felt a little betrayed that Tadashi hid stuff from him before. As long he’s doing the right thing for his late brother, he would never have doubts about Tadashi’s past actions.

Little did Hiro know that he would come to regret learning about old, buried secrets surrounding his older brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry that this is a pretty slow chapter, but I promise the next one will have some action-y scenes during the showcase.))


	7. Ninjas in the Outfield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Ishioka presents his invention. Karasu and his subordinates attack the showcase. Hiro and his friends quickly leaped into action.

**Chapter 6**

“… And here’s Dr. Daichi Ishioka.” The speaker ended and moved aside. The crowed clapped politely as the eponymous founder and owner of Ishioka Industries stepped up to the wooden podium, with cameras are focused on him.

Hiro cursed his poor seating arrangement; the tall people in front of him blocked him from barely seeing what is happening on the stage.

“Hiro, why don’t you sit next to Yasuo?” Wasabi pointed to an empty sit next to Ishioka’s son. That seat would helped Hiro see the stage better and he would have a closer viewing, but the genius was reluctant.

“I don’t know, I don’t want to disturb him,” he said.

“Oh, come on, he knows you and your brother are acquaintances,” Fred encouraged him. “He won’t mind.”

Hiro recalled how Yasuo had acted distant to him earlier and he wasn’t sure if the latter would warmly allow him to sit next to him. But since there was nowhere else to sit closer, he moved up from his seat. Baymax followed him. Hiro slowly approached Yasuo, who had just opened a palmtop PC and is staring at the screen instead at the stage for some odd reason. Hiro noticed the palmtop is covered in faded strawberry, rabbit, and robot stickers. _That's oddly charming,_ he bemused.

“Um,” Hiro called out nervously. Yasuo looked up from his computer, eyes wide in comprehension as though he was caught doing something bad. Hiro pointed to the empty next to him. “Is this seat taken?”

Yasuo blinked before shaking his head. Then without a word, he went back to his small computer. Hiro sat down and continued watching the showcase.

On the stage, Dr. Ishioka cleared his throat while looking intensely at the audience.

“Why don’t we just skip ahead to our main attraction instead?” he joked lightly. A few people tittered. “I’ll try to keep it brief. My grandfather Ito Ishioka was a prominent inventor and researcher, as well as a military contractor for the Allied forces…”

While Ishioka talked, Hiro heard a tiny beeping noise next him. He looked over to Yasuo again and saw the boy pulled out a blue darumabot from his bag.

“Is that a robot?” Hiro asked him, lowering his voice.

“Mmhmm,” Yasuo mumbled as he set the darumabot down on the floor. “Th-they were built in Japan so I brought a few here to San Fransokyo… They were originally t-toys but I made some adjustments to them. This one is named Luna.”

Yasuo pressed a couple of keys on his computer. The darumabot eyes opened and it blinked at Hiro inquisitively. It began to roll away before it knocked right into Baymax’s suitcase.

“Excuse me for being in your way,” Baymax politely apologized to the smaller robot. Luna beeped angrily at him and then rolled off.

“Where is it going?” Hiro asked, stretching his neck to follow the small robot.

“Look at my screen and you’ll see,” answered Yasuo.

Hiro’s eyes fell over at the palmtop and was awed to see a clear live video of the showcase. Apparently, the darumbot is recording it up front and sends the footage to Yasuo’s computer. With these devices, Yasuo could see where his robot is and control its actions.

“That’s really cool!” he exclaimed. Yasuo nodded wordlessly. His eyes were glued to the screen.

A thought hit Hiro… It reminded him how Yama using similar techniques with his battlebots and already he’s more determined to find the villain’s location. He just needed the one of the battlebots’ AI brain chip that could help him find Yama but the robots themselves came with a self-destruct mechanism that melts their data chips before Hiro and his friends can lay a hand on them. Hiro is growing more frustrated but he’s not giving up.

Hiro’s thoughts returned back to the showcase and he watched it on Yasuo’s computer screen. His hand accidentally brushed against Yasuo’s hand. Like an electrical current prickling their skin, the two boys drew their hands back.

“Sorry!” they stammered in unison. Deep blush bloom across Yasuo’s face, and he hurriedly sat two seats away from Hiro before continuing watching the showcase through his computer as though nothing had happened. However, Hiro rubbed his hand after it touched Yasuo’s skin and he couldn’t help but feel annoyed by the other boy’s inconsistent and withdrawn behavior.

He ignored Yasuo and he decided to keep his eyes on the stage instead as Dr. Ishioka continued his brief speech.

“… After helping building several research facilities in San Fransokyo,” he went on, “he moved to Japan and started his new family there. He was the one who raised me and pushed me into his following his footsteps. He believed we can always push the boundaries of science robotics, and his dream is often quoted as a motto at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. And that’s why the robotics program and the SFIT showcase is created, to welcome up-and-coming talented geniuses who have what it takes to improve humanity and a better future. And I will continue to uphold my grandfather’s legacy.”

The audience clapped for him and even Hiro himself felt inspired by the scientist’s speech. Ishioka was inspired to become an inventor like his grandfather and later found a company to manufacture robots and other state-of-the-art creations to help people. It was something he and Tadashi had always aspired to do together. In a prophetic-like vision that came to him, Hiro imagined again working alongside Ishioka and the two of them as the world’s greatest inventors. It was too much for him, he could feel his head spinning from excitement.

Meanwhile, Honey Lemon and the others watched in amusement at Hiro’s star-struck expression.

“Aww, look at that,” she pointed out. “I haven’t seen him drop his mouth like that since he first arrived at the nerd lab.”

“I can’t wait for him to announce his wedding to Ishioka,” Fred chortled.

Gogo and Wasabi exchanged warm glances. “Getting him to attend this showcase was a good idea,” she said happily.

“He’s been down in the dumps lately,” Wasabi nodded. “He really needed the fixer-upper.”

* * *

A screen was pulled up to the stage and when it was lit on, it showed the name of Ishioka’s invention: Hologram Rescue Robots. The scientist removed the cloth to reveal a tall androgynous android—a humanoid robot—wearing a pair of hi-tech spandex gloves. Hiro noticed how despite the robot’s body is stiff and mechanical in shape and design, the head and face is resembles like a real human. Its hair was nearly solid white which gave it a more soft-looking appearance. The android’s eyes were closed, it hasn’t been activated yet.

“Everyone, meet Tsuya,” Ishioka announced. “He is a new robot designed for the purpose of rescuing survivors from urban disasters, mining accidents, and even hostage situations. Tsuya is the first and only rescue robot who’ll be commissioned to Krei Tech in a couple of weeks, where more robots like him will be developed and manufactured. He’ll be in good hands hopefully.”

The audience laughed. Krei, who is sitting up in the front row with his assistant, rolled his eyes but he was smiling.

Ishioka pressed a button the on the back of the android’s neck to activate him. Tsuya’s eyes widen, revealing electric blue eyes. He slowly scanned around the room and observing the audience inquisitively. Hiro edged forward to get a closer look; he had never seen a real android outside of movies.

Tsuya stepped forward and bowed politely at the audience.

“Hello, I’m Tsuya,” he greeted. His voice sounded rather electronic but his mannerisms were like that of a child. “Dr. Ishioka created me.”

“Tsuya,” Ishioka began speaking to him. “How many people can you count in this room?”

The android’s eyes flashed. “Seventy-nine.”

Ishioka brushed aside the side of Tsuya’s head to reveal a round metal disc on the spot where his ear should be.

“And can you tell us what the person sitting on number M-27 the last row is saying?” Ishioka asked.

At the last row, Hiro turned his head to see his friends checking the number on their seats.

“Hey, this is my seat!” Fred whispered to his teammates.

“Hey, this is my seat,” Tsuya repeated the words out loud in the stage.

“No way.” Hiro stared dumbfounded.

“Tsuya can locate people who are trapped under debris and can hear the faintest cry for help. My previous rescue robots had trouble working through rough terrain and rubble and were constantly getting stuck or broken,” Ishioka explained to the crowd. “So, I kept on trying to find ways to improve them and for three years, I was able to create a robot using a tech based on an old invention I created when I was a boy.”

Ishioka turned to his android and ordered him to lift up his arms. The screen behind them showed the Tsuya’s gloves has small, metallic studs on the fingers which linked up to a glowing circle on the palm.

The android projected a light-blue hologram screen from its hands. The crowd didn’t seemed impressed but then something incredible happened next; the screen formed a several columns which Ishioka stepped onto without falling through them!

“These holograms are made of light,” Ishioka explains as he stands on top of the highest column looking down at the audience below, “photons so greatly compressed that they were held together by their own gravitational fields, and it can be used to create solid light constructs.” He smiled as the crowd, relishing their full attention on him. He then stepped off from the column; everyone thought he was about to fall but the holograms formed into a huge ball which caught him. Ishioka floated back down on the stage and once he’s safe, the hologram disappeared.

“My solid light holograms can lift and carry heavy objects, and become barriers that can withstand heavy damages. You want to protect people from being crushed or being blown apart from explosions? Tsuya and the holograms can do it!”

The audience burst into applause. Hiro and his friends clapped the loudest. Unaware to everyone, a silent figure uncloaked himself from the shadows in the back of the auditorium. Karasu had been watching the show the entire time, waiting for the moment to strike.

Suddenly, the screen began to static. A murmur rose from the crowd when they see it playing a video of a terrifying figure wearing a dark clothes and a samurai-like helmet. His face was hidden behind a white Kabuki mask with brown markings and sharp teeth decorations, giving him an appearance of a demon. As he began to spoke, his voice was heard on the speaker to the audience’s uneasiness.

“Hello, citizens of San Fransokyo,” he spoke. His voice is deep and smooth without a hint of emotion, adding another layer of chilliness to his appearance. “It’s been twenty-eight years since I’ve made a public appearance. Some of you may have not heard of me, but I know there are those who recognized me. I had many names, but I am more known as Mukuro, leader of the Shiragiku.”

Hiro looked over to his friends, who were as confused as he is. Several older guests’ faces pale in fear when they realized who he is, and some began to shriek.

“Listen well,” Mukuro demanded and the whole room fell into deathly silence. Outside the auditorium, Mukuro’s footage is also being played on video screens throughout the exhibition building where everyone can hear and see it. “For too long, you citizens depend so much on technology, you make ignorant decisions and cut corners to further develop them in the name of science, or even covet other genius’ ideas and crediting them as your own… and then making it accessible for those who can afford them and eventually throw them away when they’re no longer useful. ‘Pushing the boundaries of robotics’… is just an illusion when greed is actually its true motivation. Shiragiku shall take San Fransokyo’s advanced technology inventions and put them in better and use them to burn and raze the city to the ground.”

On the stage, Ishioka was quiet and he was dripping with sweat, but he stared intensely at the video screen. He hands clenched into tight fists.

Mukuro added, “Once the city is in ashes, I will create a new era where progress of science and technology will not be hindered by human flaws. And as for those half-witted riff-raffs known as Big Hero 6…” Hiro and his friends were listening, glaring quietly at Mukuro. “… Their days will soon be over.”

Then the screen went dead. On Karasu’s signal, several people, scattered in the audience, quietly donned on a black-and-white Kabuki mask and pulled out taser sticks…

Without warning, baseball bombs were flung and dropped on the floor, releasing huge clouds of smoke that soon filled the entire room. Everyone from the audience screamed. In their state of panic, they jumped from their seats and tried to find the exit but they were being attacked by Kabuki mask-wearing mooks. Some who reached the doors found out they were locked in. Back on the stage, Ishioka was knocked over by a group of five men wearing dark clothes that seemed like a mix between a ninja costume and a baseball player uniform. One is shuffling baseball cards, another tossing a baseball in his hands, and the last three dangerously wielding bats.

“Hey, aren’t they the San Fransokyo Ninjas?” Fred demanded, recognizing them as a popular baseball team.

The San Fransokyo Ninjas, or SanFran Ninjas for short, scattered throughout the auditorium. One of them swung a baseball at his comrade, who then hit it with a bat. The ball flew across the room until it hit a wall. It exploded on contact.

“Freddie, look out!” Honey screamed. Someone wearing a Kabuki mask tried to attack Fred. Wasabi and Gogo managed to take him down.

“We got to help these people!” Gogo told her friends.

“We can’t risk our identities being seeing! We don’t have our suits!” Wasabi shouted.

“Ta-da!” Fred pulled off the Kabuki mask of from the random mook who tried to hurt him. He placed it over his face, giving his team an idea.

* * *

Krei was about to find his partner Ishioka but his assistant pulled him to the ground when a baseball came flying almost hit his head. The same baseball struck Professor Lebur right on his face and it exploded. His face and upper body were burning in pain as well covered in soot.

In the middle of the foggy smoke and people screaming and running, either attacked or frightened by unknown masked intruders, Hiro quickly got up from his seat and tried to find Baymax.

“Baymax!” he called out to the nursebot.

Another voice cried out. “Luna!”

Hiro recognized it as Yasuo’s. He looked around saw him trying to find his own robot, which was rolling and maneuvering through turned over chairs and people running. As soon Yasuo picked up his darumabot, someone bumped into him and he crashed to the floor. His bag opened and several books and pill bottles flew out. Yasuo was on all fours and he started wheezing, his hand clutched tight to his chest. He noticed his inhaler lying a few feet away from him after it has fallen from his bag. He reached for it but a guest accidentally kicked it away. Yasuo fell on his side, clutching his chest in pain.

Hiro went to retrieve the inhaler and then hurried over to Yasuo. Another Kabuki-masked mook jumped in front of him and Hiro was immediately brought back to the first time he saw another masked man in a warehouse…

Acting quickly, Hiro sent a roundhouse kicked to the mook and fell backwards, knocked out. He quickly kneeled next to Yasuo and gave him the inhaler.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned. He placed a hand on Yasuo’s back to comfort him.

Yasuo took deep breaths from his inhaler and he began to breathe normal again, though he was still weak. He nodded at Hiro to let him know he’s okay.

“Alright, you have to get away from here,” Hiro told him urgently. “Go find your dad or Krei’s assistant, and stick close to them.”

Hiro helped the other boy up and after Yasuo disappeared from Hiro’s sight with his belongings back in his bag. At that moment, Baymax’s red suitcase wheeled into view.

“Hiro, I heard you required my assistance,” he said.

“We gotta help these people!” Hiro told him. He opened his bag and pulled out his helmet from inside it. “Time to test out our new upgrades, buddy.”

Baymax inflated again but this time, the suitcase began to build itself around his body, shaping into an armored suit. He is now ready to battle. Hiro hurriedly removed his blazer and shirt, revealing his black suit with purple pads on his shoulders and wrists. With a click of a hidden activator on his wrist and the pads extended, also forming into a carbon-armor on his chest and arms. Hiro was glad to make this tech collapsible and easy to carry around on him on all times.

* * *

Back the rest of the Big Hero 6 gang, each of them put on a Kabuki mask after snatching them from fallen mooks. The rest who are not defeated were distracted and confused them for their allies so it gave the heroes an easier time taking them down.

“We don’t need our weapons for this one!” Wasabi shouted as he slammed his elbow to a masked mook with his elbow.

The SanFran Ninja with the baseball cards threw one of his cards at the team. It flew in a straight line and sliced his arm, drawing blood. Wasabi recoiled in pain. Gogo, in furious retaliation, grabbed one of the fallen taser sticks and ran towards the Ninja in lightning speed. She missed every sharp cards he threw at her and struck him in the abdomen. The electrocuted Ninja twitched before falling over.

Honey stared at Wasabi’s wound in horror. “Are you gonna be okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I should consider myself lucky,” he groaned.

A SanFran Ninja pitcher began flinging his baseball bombs to the ceiling now, cause debris to fall everywhere. Baymax appeared and used his body and strength to protect bystanders before they get crushed.

“Way to go, Baymax!” Fred whooped.

Baymax then used his rocket fist to blast the entrance doors open for the trapped guests to flee.

* * *

Another SanFran Ninja batter hit another baseball bomb, redirecting it to the ceiling above the stage. It blew a hole and the sky can be seen. Karasu dashed through the confusion and chaos and leaped into the stage. He quickly deactivated a perplexed Tsuya and wrapped a thick rope around the android’s body.

“It’s time to go,” he gave out an order to the Shiragiku members are listening him on a communicator.

He then shot a cable wire to the edge of the hole, he was about to lift himself up while carrying his target over his shoulder when someone tackled him to the floor. He dropped Tsuya and glared at Hiro who stood defiantly in front him.

“You must be the leader of Big Hero 6,” Karasu sneered at him as he slowly approached the teenaged boy. “I was expecting someone taller. More competent.”

“I’m good enough for you,” Hiro smirked. “What do I call you?”

“Karasu. Commander to the San Fransokyo Ninjas of Shiragiku... And Mukuro’s most loyal lieutenant.”

He shot a punch forward but Hiro blocked it. The latter threw a high kick but Karasu dodged it, grabbed Hiro’s leg, and threw him down. Hiro jumped back up and used his electromagnetic gloves to push Karasu backwards. Then he reversed the force to pull Karasu back to him. With a spinning kick, Hiro sent Karasu to the floor of the stage.

Karasu’s stagehand headgear fell off. Hiro saw Karasu’s lower half of his face is covered in mask that is connected to his clothes. His upper half face now exposed, Karasu appeared to be a young man with black hair and dark markings under his eyes. Hiro caught a glimpse of old burnt scars on Karasu’s skin.

Mukuro’s lieutenant looked up to see that the masked mooks have all been defeated and the rest of Big Hero 6 are trying to fight the SanFran Ninjas.

“Leave them!” he snarled at his subordinates. He climbed back on his feet and glared coldly at Hiro. In a blink of the eye, he suddenly disappeared.

Hiro tried to process what just happened when he felt a powerful kick on the back of his head. Soon, he was being thrown around and beaten up by an invisible enemy. A small part of him was secretly impressed how an invisibility cloaking device had been created and being appropriately used by a ninja-themed enemy.

Hiro was then tossed off the stage and crashed hard into the front row seats. He then fell onto the floor like a ragdoll and when he tried to move, his entire body stung with pain. He heard his teammates called out his name.

He opened his eyes and the SanFran Ninjas pulling the rescue robot Tsayu, Dr. Ishioka’s latest invention, up to the hole in the ceiling with them so they can make their escape. Karasu was the last to go but he decided to not to retrieve his headgear. He gave a weakened Hiro one last look as he used his cable wires to pull himself up to the hole.

“So, this is the strength of the leader of Big Hero 6?” he commented. “You are unfit to fight Mukuro. If you are as clever as Yama told us, you’d stay away from Shiragiku.”

Hiro couldn’t believe his own ears. Somehow, Yama is involved with these mysterious attackers. However, Hiro had no further time to dwell on this, he can’t let Karasu escape.

“Baymax, shoot him down!” Hiro cried.

The nursebot could only stared at the fleeing Karasu. “My programming prevents me from harming another human being,” he told him. Hiro swore, he has forgotten Baymax’s anti-harm coding.

“Use your wings to fly and catch him then!”

“Hiro, you have not installed my wings and thrusters into my armor yet.”

Karasu laughed at Big Hero 6’s failure to catch him and then climbed into the roof of the exhibition hall. In a few moments, he and the San Fransokyo Ninjas disappeared.

* * *

Big Hero 6 quickly left the auditorium before the police or anyone else arrived to see them. As they sneaked out the exhibition hall through the back, they saw injured people, Dr. Ishioka and Professor Lebur among them, being treated by paramedics. Krei appeared distressed, especially since Tsuya was supposed to be commissioned to his company has been taken away. Yasuo is sitting on the grass, slowly breathing through his inhaler again while his darumabot lay lifelessly on his lap.

Hiro and his friends realized a mysterious and formidable threat had arrived to their city, and for the first time since Callaghan’s stint as a supervillain... they were afraid and uncertain of their next plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry, I didn't combine this with the previous chapter but it was getting too long so I had to cut them in half.))


	8. Karasu, Corpse-Eater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro is determined to find the mysterious second-of-command of Shiragiku. Meanwhile, an investigation led Hiro and his friends back to the warehouse where Hiro found his stolen microbots...

**Chapter 7**

On the following day after Ishioka's showcase, the afternoon sky over San Fransokyo was leaden with overcast. Hiro and Baymax stood on top of the Golden Gate Bridge so the caregiver robot can use his enhanced scanners on a closer range. Hiro has been listening to updates from his teammates, who had scattered out in pairs to scour the city, on his communicator.

“Honey, Fred,” he called out. “What’s the status at the Marina?”

“Everything’s normal here, Hiro,” Honey’s voice answered. “No sign of either Yama’s battlebots or the Shiragiku.”

“Wasabi, Gogo?”

He heard another voice spoke up. “Gogo and I just finish patrolling near the docks. Nothing here either.”

“What do you mean, nothing?” Hiro demanded. “There’s no way those guys could have disappeared completely!”

“Hiro, we have to talk,” Gogo said.

“We’ll do it later, let’s all go downtown--”

“No. We need to talk now.”

Hiro groaned in frustration. Any more waste of time would allow Karasu to get farther away from him. Gogo and the others better have a good reason why they decided to stop the search. Hiro climbed on Baymax’s back and the robot blast off to regroup with their teammates.

At downtown, Big Hero 6 gathered on the roof of a building behind a huge billboard. Wasabi and Honey were leaning against a wall, sharing a low conversation while Gogo paced back and forth. Fred is sitting nearby on a box crate, absorbed in his comic book which he brought along and had his mask opened.

When Hiro and Baymax finally arrived, Gogo’s opaque visor slide up and Hiro could see her face clearly.

“Glad you listened to me,” she muttered.

“Okay, what’s the big deal stopping the search?” Hiro didn’t mean to sound irritated but he would not put up any excuses his friends will give him.

“Hiro,” Wasabi pleaded. “I have to go to work in half an hour.”

“Is that all?” Hiro raised his voice.

“Hey, don’t shout at him,” Gogo snapped. “Some of us have obligations, genius.”

“And do you think I’m okay with letting this party dwindle so I can let half of you go do whatever you want?” Hiro asked fiercely.

“Hiro, we need a plan,” Gogo told him.

“We do have a plan. We don’t stop until we find Karasu.”

Gogo frowned, placing her hands on her hips. “No, we didn’t decide that together. You made us come out all the way here.”

“Guys, let’s not fight. “Honey Lemon stepped forward, holding up her hands to calm her two friends down. She turned to Hiro. “There’s going to be a heavy rain tonight. It won’t do us any good if we continue our search like this.”

“So, you just want to give up?” Hiro asked, his nose flaring.

“Hey, don’t say it like that,” Fred protested, jumping off from the box crate. “We want to catch the bad guys as much as you do, but it’s just like Gogo said—we need to think of a better plan on how to find Karasu and his cronies.”

“Never thought I’d find Fred to agree with me,” Gogo mused.

Hiro shook his head. “Look, you guys. Yesterday, those people not only attacked innocent civilians yesterday but they also stole Dr. Ishioka’s invention.”

“We know how you feel, man,” Wasabi nodded. “Callaghan stole your microbots and what Karasu did to Ishioka made it feel personal to you.”

“And that’s why we need to continue the search!”

Honey stepped forward. “Tadashi wouldn’t want you to get hurt, Hiro.”

At the mention of his brother’s name, Hiro’s face fell and his eyes filled with sadness. “I just don’t want to let him down,” he mumbled.

His friends looked at each other, understanding his grief. Fred was wearing an odd expression.

“Hiro, are you in love with Tadashi or something?” he chuckled. The words struck a chord and Hiro couldn’t decide if the school mascot is joking or being serious.

“What are you implying there, Fred?”

“I think he means--” Gogo narrowed her eyes at Fred “—is that your obsession with making your brother proud--”

 _“Obsession?”_ Hiro hissed, gritting his teeth. “At least I put more effort into my superhero job than you!”

“Your brother would never be this selfish,” Gogo stated.

Wasabi, Honey, Fred, and Baymax watched the ugly fight in front of them.

“What do you know about my brother?!” Hiro shouted. “I started this team so I can help people like he wanted!”

“You did not,” Gogo angrily reminded him. “You manipulated us to track down your brother’s killer.”

Hiro became more furious. “I seem to recall how you were the first one who called the shots when you decided to form this team with me!”

“You done? Cause I’m tired feeling guilty for having a life!” Gogo clenched her fists. “If you want to keep being stubborn, then I see no reason to continue following you as our team’s leader!”

 _“Stop it! You guys are friends, you shouldn’t fight!”_ Honey pleaded, now in tears. Fred immediately comforted her.

A flash of lightning broke across the sky and thunder followed. Then raindrops began to fall and everyone became drenched. Hiro and Gogo continued to give each other silent glares. Neither of them spoke for several minutes until Hiro broke the silence.

“Okay, Wasabi,” he began stiffly. “Baymax and I will drop you near your work. We’ll continue the search another day.”

“Hiro, you are stressed,” Baymax said. “Take deep, slow breathes.”

Before everyone went their separate ways, Gogo went up to Hiro again. He noticed her eyes were red as though she had been crying.

“Listen, genius. You’re not the only one who loved Tadashi,” she whispered. “Remember that.”

* * *

Deep in some secret, underground facility unbeknownst to the public, Karasu stepped off from the elevator. Shiragiku has made many bases, though the organization never stayed in one place. Every time they leave a base, they always make sure to remove any evidence and traces of their stay so neither the police nor Big Hero 6 can find them. Their main headquarters, however, is located in the last place anyone least expected.

Karasu entered a room where several masked members are practicing sparring. The mooks, called Yokai, are mostly consist of gangs, delinquents, and escaped prisoners. They stopped sparring for a moment so they can greet Karasu. The latter silently ignored them and entered another room for private personnel only.

Inside, the top officers—personally picked by the organization’s boss—were sitting idly around a large table, playing and chatting. It seemed like the Banzai Brothers have challenged the Fujitas into an arm-wrestling contest. Two of the kimono-clad, roller-blading femme fatales (their eye-patched leader is leaning against a corner, observing) proved to be themselves superior in speed and cunning. The two mad bombers stood no chance against. Nobody in the room has noticed Karasu yet.

“You little bitch, I wasn’t ready!” Dominguez snarled. “You nearly broke my arm!”

“Kyahahaha, I thought the Banzai Buffoons were big tough men!” A young blonde Fujita girl cackled after slammed Dominguez’s arm hard on the table without warning. “You couldn’t even try taking a shit with that weak-ass strength of yours!”

“Sayuri, don’t be vulgar,” A tall sour-faced Fujita girl scolded her companion. She is sitting next to her with her arms folded across her. She appeared to be bored. “We must not stoop to their level.”

“What the fuck do you care, Natsume?” Sayuri retorted. “Big Sis isn’t complaining.”

Fujita in the corner just snickered.

Komeiji downs a beer bottle. His face has turned red and he belched very loud. “I’m bored! I wanna blow something up!” he moaned. He turned to Dominguez, who was trying to ignore him. “Hey, Dominguez—let’s blow some stuff up! Hey. Hey… Hey, bro! Broooo!”

“Goddamit, Komeiji! Just shut up for once!” Dominguez growled, grabbing the front of his partner’s vest. “If I didn’t promise my _lola_ on her deathbed that I wouldn’t kill you… I would kill you!”

“Can’t we get any peace and quiet without you idiots starting a fight?” a heavy voice boomed.

It belonged to Yama, who is sitting on the far end of the table, playing cards with the diminutive and flamboyant Mr. Sparkles.  The latter’s assistant, Magenta the Badgal as she was known in illegal botfighting circles, a girl in punk clothing and whose hair is dyed pink, sitting nearby fiddling on her laptop with her headphones on.

Karasu cleared his throat. Everybody heard him and looked up.

“Welcome back, Karasu my boy!” Mr. Sparkles giggled in excitement. “You and your San Fransokyo Ninjas did quite a stir down at SFIT’s exhibition hall! All of us made bets to see if you were successful or not~”

“I’m was only doing my mission stealing Dr. Ishioka’s robot,” Karasu said coldly. “I’m not interested to know who won their bet.”

“Listen here, Karasu,” Yama grunted. He stood up from his seat and loomed over the scarred man, sizing him up. Everyone else in the room froze, watching the tension. Karasu can read the resentment and jealousy on Yama’s face. “We’re both second-in-command to Mukuro, but my age and experience should make me superior to you. I don’t see why Mukuro favors you and entrusts you with important information and secrets in this organization.”

Karasu cast an evil glare which scared Yama that he stepped back. His eyes looked like they were burning but his voice remained calm. “I thought you liked having your robots rampage around the city to distract Big Hero 6 while I do my dirty work, Yama. But if you still continue to grumble about your job, you can bring your complaints to Mukuro himself.”

“And—and that’s another thing!” Yama regained his tough confidence, but he was still sweating. “We’ve never met our boss in person. You’re the only one who knows who he is and all his orders are given out to us through only you. I don’t like being left out in the dark. How can we follow him when we know nothing about him?!”

“Mukuro will reveal his true identity and his master plan to all of you in due time. Remember, we value secrecy in this organization.”

Yama fell quiet but he went back to his seat without another word. However, he kept throwing dirty looks at Karasu, who just remain nonchalant. Everyone else sighed with relief; any argument between Mukuro’s two lieutenants feels like a bomb getting ready to go off and possibly end in a bloody mess. Fujita changed the topic.

“I hear Big Hero 6 was there attending that showcase and managed to stop our Yokai goons,” she spoke up, walking over to sit with her ‘sisters’. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at Karasu eagerly. “How does it feel like fighting them for the first time?”

“I only fought their leader,” Karasu replied. “He was a disappointment.”

He then holds up a black CD case for everyone to see.

“Mukuro has a message about your next assignment for all of you. I suggest watching this to the very end.”

He places the case on the table and slides it forward to Magenta. She proceeds to start playing it inside her laptop. Karasu turns to leave.

“Where are you going?” Dominguez asked. “Don’t you want to watch this with us?”

“Mukuro said I’m needed somewhere,” Karasu answered. “We may have a lead where Callaghan has kept it…”

* * *

**_“AH-CHOO!”_ **

Hiro’s sneezed so loud and sudden that it frightened Mochi. The aging calico cat scampered out of the garage. Hiro grabbed a tissue and blew his nose, making a silly honk which made him grateful no one else besides Baymax is around to hear it.

Hiro has taken residence on the old comfy couch in the garage, sitting cross-legged with a laptop on top of a small table in front of him. He was typing away while he listened to the heavy rain pour outside. A plate of his half-finished dinner lay beside him and it has grown cold. Baymax scuffled over and placed a warm blanket over Hiro’s body.

“I suggest you move your work to your bedroom where it is warmer,” he said.

“It’s not that cold, Baymax.” Hiro sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve before going back to his work.

Ever since his fight with Karasu yesterday, Hiro is determined to get stronger. He managed to retrieve the man’s stolen Kabuki stagehand hood and after intensive research and sample testing, he discovered the cloth is made from a unusual fabric material that were once used for special ops training program a few years ago before they were discarded. Hiro has yet to learn how Karasu was able to render himself invisible with the cloth though there must be some hi-tech cloaking device that can make it invisible. No matter how much he tries to replicate the tech on his computer, he’s still lacking several components to make it possible to work. He’ll try to call Krei in the future and asked him for help since the CEO once worked with military officials in the past. And Hiro would not mind applying the stealth tech to upgrade the suits for his teammates.

His head pounding with pain and his neck stiff, Hiro finally closes his laptop and lays back into the couch.

“Try to relax,” Baymax suggested. “Shall I give you shoulder and neck massage for temporary relief for your headache and stiff neck?”

“I would like that. Thanks, buddy.” Hiro smiled and moved his dinner plate on top of a newspaper which showed the headlines about the mass prison break as well as Callaghan’s murder. Hiro then lies down on the couch facing away from Baymax. Baymax’s soft, vinyl fingers started pressing and kneading gently against Hiro’s shoulders and neck. It felt so good that Hiro began to relax more.

The young genius heard a soft music began to play and he realized it was coming from Baymax’s video screen. If it helps him unwind, Hiro won’t complain.

He closed his eyes, breathing slowly in and out in serene peace; his hand idly reached into the pocket of his capri shorts and felt something flat and round. Opening his eyes, Hiro pulled out the object and saw it the brass coin he picked up after the battle with the Banzai Brothers and Yama’s battlebot. Already, Hiro remembered there are Yama and the escaped convicts from Jigoku Prison who are still out there and Big Hero 6 have made no further progress trying to find them.

He stared at the chrysanthemum symbol on the coin and a realization dawned upon Hiro. He shot upwards and Baymax stopped his soothing music.

“Hiro, I am not finished,” he said.

“Baymax, can I tell you something?” Hiro asked, turning to his robotic friend.

“What is it?”

“I think Yama and the Banzai Brothers may be working with the Shiragiku.”

Baymax tilted his head curiously. “What brings you to that conclusion?”

Hiro holds up the brass coin in front of him. “One of the Banzai Brothers must have been carrying this during that night of the bank robbery,” he explained. “Afterwards, those guys broke out of Jigoku Prison. And it just so happens…” Hiro retrieved the old newspaper under the dinner plate. On the lower section in the front page is a picture of a white chrysanthemum flower that was found near Callaghan’s body. “This flower matches the type of flower symbol on this coin! Shiragiku means _‘white chrysanthemum’_ in Japanese!”

Hiro realized he needs to tell the others about this. He opens his laptop again and starts a chat group call. All his four teammates came online in as soon they were contacted.

“Hello, Hiro~!” Honey greeted in a sing-song voice when her face appeared. She’s wearing pink pajamas and has her hair wrapped in a towel. She waved at Baymax, who is standing behind Hiro. “Hi, Baymax~!”

“I just came home from work,” Wasabi yawned, his face heavy with exhaustion. He had untied his small ponytail, letting his dreadlocks free. His head nodded so low before he jolted back up. “I swear I wasn’t sleeping!”

Gogo even let her hair down and loosened. She looked just as tired as Wasabi, but she was alert. “Were you able to find the Shiragiku guys who attacked the showcase?” she asked, chewing on her bubblegum.

She’s acting oddly polite _._ Hiro guessed it’s because she felt bad about their fight earlier.

“No, I haven’t,” Hiro replied glumly.

Fred tried to say something but none of his friends were able to hear him. Honey typed a message for him in the chatroom. As soon he got the message, Fred quickly fixed the audio on his end.

“Sorry, about that!” he apologized, chuckling. “I was cybering with my girl.”

“Ew, Fred! We have a minor here!” Wasabi cried in disgust.

“Hey, I’m only fifteen!” Hiro huffed.

Fred guffawed. “I can’t wait for you to leave the kids’ table and join with us adults, Hiro.”

“Anyways, the reason why I called you guys…” Hiro began telling him of his discovery of Shiragiku’s symbol on the brass coin, and Yama and the Banzai Brothers’ possible involvement with the mysterious organization.

“I know it sounds crazy, but everything that happened recently seem to fit,” Hiro babbled wildly. His hand rubbed up his forehead, letting his bangs get brushed upwards.

“Hiro, there are some things that still bugs me,” Gogo said. “Let’s start with Shiragiku stealing Dr. Ishioka’s invention. According to their leader, they’re going to steal whatever hi-tech inventions they can get their hands on and use them as weapons of mass destruction.”

“They’re kind of hypocrites when you think about it,” Wasabi interrupted her. “They said they don’t like how technology is being abused for selfish reasons and they’re going to do the exact thing.”

“What do you think they plan to do with Ishioka’s robot?” Honey inquired.

Baymax spoke up. “I’m assuming that, if Yama is indeed working with Shiragiku, Ishioka’s rescue robot might be converted into a powerful fighting robot. Especially since it can use solid light holograms.”

Hiro went quiet. The thought of Yama or anyone misusing someone else’s work makes his blood boil. “We have to stop them,” he said dangerously.

“That reminds me,” Fred perked up. “Did anyone noticed how those Shiragiku mooks in the Kabuki masks resembled Callaghan’s own mask when he tried to kill us and Krei?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Freddie,” Honey shook her head. “But I don’t he was involved with them. He seemed to work alone.”

“And yet, Callaghan’s the only prisoner who didn’t escape from D-Block,” Gogo reminded her. “He was found tied and covered in series injuries before he was pronounced dead. Someone who got those prisoners made sure Callaghan was killed.”

“You know,” Hiro said, rubbing his chin in deep thought. “It’s really not a farfetched idea if Callaghan used to work for this Shiragiku, since both of them love to steal and ambush. But just like with the Banzai Brothers and Yama, we can’t confirm our suspicions until we get proof.”

“Hiro, you don’t think Callaghan would have told Shiragiku about your microbot technology, would they?” Honey asked.

Hiro’s eyes widen and his heart stopped.

“N-no way… you saw how much Callaghan depends on my microbots to get revenge on Krei. You think he’d share with some masked criminals?”

“But Callaghan was once a masked criminal like them,” Fred shrugged.

“Look, we’ve pretty much established Callaghan more or less worked alone. And there’s no way Shiragiku would have their hands on my microbots since most of them were sucked up into the portal and the only neurotransmitter that controlled was destroyed. I even kept the few remaining ones left but they are more or less broken by this point.”

Gogo popped her bubblegum. “What if Callaghan didn’t bring all the microbots when he attacked Krei Tech?”

“What? You mean like he kept hundreds more as backup somewhere?”

“Wait, maybe that’s why he was murdered!” Fred gasped. “The Shiragiku was probably asking him for the location for the other microbots that weren’t destroyed!”

The whole group call fell silent. Hiro realized if Shiragiku gets their hands on his microbot tech, who knows what chaos they can create with them?

“We need to find out where Callaghan kept the other microbots!” Hiro shouted.

“How? We don’t even know all his secret hideouts!” Fred protested.

“Should we check Akuma Island?” Wasabi asked.

“No, not there. He would have taken all the microbots with him when we attacked him there,” Hiro muttered. The only other place he could think of where Callaghan used to haunt was that old warehouse by the pier. The same place where he produced more of the stolen microbots.

“Guys, are you up for an investigation tonight?”

* * *

Thunder clapped and the downpour had filled the gutters and drains throughout the grimy dark alleyways of the run-down, industrial part of the city. Baymax landed near the pier; Hiro and his friends climbed down and glanced around to see if anyone else besides them is here. The rain soaked through their armored suits and it wasn’t pleasant at all for Wasabi’s case.

“It’s so c-c-cold!” he complained. He hugged his trembling body. “And we’re wet again! Can’t we wait for morning to do this when it’s not raining?”

“Stop whining. Woman up,” Gogo muttered. “We’re not going to stay here long.”

“Alright, guys,” Hiro began giving orders. “We’re gonna split up in pairs and check this entire site. I don’t think Callaghan would use only one warehouse to keep all microbots in one place, so check the other warehouses. If you find anything interesting or suspicious, use the communicator to inform us.”

Honey nodded “Be careful, Hiro.”

She and Gogo ran off in one direction while Wasabi and Fred went the other. Hiro and Baymax walked up to the warehouse where Callaghan once used it before. The building itself is in a more deteriorated state since last time Hiro saw it. The front doors which had been kicked away by Baymax had not been replaced but there was a “KEEP OUT” police tape hung placed across the entrance. Hiro peered into the darkness, hesitating entering the warehouse that looks dry yet at the same time foreboding.

“Hiro, we should get out of this rain as soon as possible,” Baymax said. “Staying long out here increases your risk of catching a cold.”

“Stay close to me,” Hiro whispered.

* * *

The two slip inside, letting the cool darkness seemed to swallow them. The raindrops trickle down from Hiro’s suit and his shoes scrunched on the ground. The warehouse is even quieter and darker night time, which did not ease Hiro at all. The rain hammered loudly on the metal roof, making it sound like someone had dropped hundreds of pebbles. Lightning flashed outside a window and another thunder rumbled. As if driven by childhood instinct, Hiro clings to Baymax’s body. Baymax’s eye move down at Hiro.

“Your heart rate has elevated,” he noted.

“Sorry, I’ve forgotten how creepy this place is,” Hiro mumbled.

They continued walking past old machinery while remaining alert in case of possible ambushes. Stiffling silence filled the air and Hiro shivered when he felt a breeze blew inside the building through the shattered windows.

He and Baymax finally came to the area where the found hundreds of drums fill with microbots. It was empty like they expected but Hiro could still remember the terror of being chased after his own creation.

“Well… here we are,” Hiro grinned sheepishly. He saw the catwalk above his head and he got an idea. “Baymax, you stay here and keep watch, I’m going up there to look around.”

“You are my patient. I cannot leave you unattended,” Baymax said.

“But I’m also your friend,” Hiro whispered. “And friends should trust each other. I’ll be fine, okay? I promise I won’t get hurt.”

After Hiro left his side, Baymax watches his patient ascending up a rickety stairs weakened by years of rust. It creaked under the boy’s weight, emitting an ominous sound.

“Be careful not to slip and fall from that height,” Baymax gently warned him.

Hiro groaned, “I know, Baymax!”

As careful as he can, Hiro crossed the catwalk. He avoided glancing down despite the temptation. He knows Baymax will catch him but he doesn’t want to imagine how far the height will be if he falls. He could finally breathe in relief when he made it across. He looks back down to see Baymax giving him a thumbs-up gesture. Now encouraged, Hiro continued his search.

* * *

Hiro came across an office whose door that appeared to be forced open. He crept in and squinted into the darkness but he could not see anything. He pulled out a small flashlight from his utility pouch and brought the light over the surroundings. There are only a few furniture which includes an old desk, a chair and a bookcase. Papers were scattered all over the floor, yellow with age. The room is rather dusty as well which Hiro made it difficult to breath at first, but he’s not ready to open his opaque visor yet. A window has been boarded up though half of its wooden blocks had been torn off with only single block left hanging from a nail.

Since there was nothing interesting anywhere in this room, Hiro is beginning to think he’s just being paranoid of the idea of Callaghan keeping extra microbots somewhere. And since the former professor is dead, there is no other way to confirm this suspicion.

He turned on his communicator inside his helmet. “Guys? Can you hear me?” he called. “Did you manage to find anything?”

All he could hear is static. The building’s structure must be interfering with it. With that settled, Hiro prepares to leave when he decided to shine the flashlight over to the desk once more when he noticed the first drawer is open. He walked over and looked inside; shifting several papers aside, looking for anything out of the ordinary, until he found it. It was an old picture, possibly taken many years ago before he was born. Hiro came to that conclusion because of the people he saw in the picture.

There are four men wearing lab coats, three which he recognized while the last one he’s unfamiliar with. The first two were Callaghan and Dr. Ishioka who were both younger. Standing next to Ishioka is a man wearing glasses and has his black hair groomed back. Hiro has pictures of this man in his family’s photographs back at his home.

It was his father, Tomeo Hamada.

An odd sensation washed over Hiro and his hands shook while they grip the photo. He rarely had any feelings for a parent he barely knew, but the picture made his heart heavy with a long-forgotten pain. Tomeo Hamada did resemble a lot like his oldest son Tadashi in this picture.

Hiro then recalled Tadashi telling his reason for building Baymax…

* * *

_“Because of our dad?” Hiro asked, raising his eyebrow._

_The Hamada brothers were in the garage. Tadashi came by to watch Hiro working on his creation for the SFIT Showcase and give him support._

_“Our dad’s a doctor,” Tadashi told him. He was eating pizza while relaxing on the couch in the corner. “With his skills and brains, he managed to save many lives. However, there are times he wished he was fast enough to respond to any medical emergencies. When I was kid and before he and mom died, he wished to see modern technology and robotics created for the medical field to help the sick and injured. Inventing Baymax is gonna make that possibility a reality.”_

_“Dad sounds like a pretty cool guy,” Hiro said, his eyes glued to his computer screen. He was designing a device that could control his newest creation: microbots. He hoped Professor Callaghan would be impressed with it. “How did he die again? Car accident?”_

_Tadashi went silent, his face full of sorrow and bitterness._

_“It happened six months after mom died from her illness,” he began. “Dad… left us in Aunt Cass’ care while he takes a trip to visit our grandparents. His bus lost control due to the ice on the road. It crashed into a gas truck… there were no survivors from the burning wreckage.”_

_Hiro stopped and he turned around in his chair. He saw tears forming in his brother’s eyes and it shocked him. He rarely sees Tadashi cry since he always appeared strong and brave._

_“I didn’t know,” Hiro said quietly. “I’m sorry…”_

_“Hey, it’s alright,” Tadashi wiped his tears away. He forced himself to smile. “I’m happy that I didn’t have to lose you too.”_

_Hiro smiled too, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Same here…”_

* * *

Hiro smiled at that memory; Tadashi really loved and missed their dad and creating Baymax showed it. The young boy continued staring the picture when a realization struck him.

His dad is in the picture with both Callaghan and Ishioka. He thought about their relationship, were they friends or colleagues? Hiro thought of his brother again; Tadashi must have looked up to and respected Callaghan and Ishioka because both of them knew Mr. Hamada in the past.

“Wait,” he spoke outloud. His head is spinning in confusion. “Why didn’t Tadashi told me Ishioka and Callaghan knew dad? … Did he even knew about this?”

A part of Hiro hoped Tadashi was just as clueless and unaware of his dad’s acquaintances. Tadashi would have told him… except Hiro remember how Tadashi hid the fact that he met Ishioka before without telling him or his friends.

Hiro decides he’ll solve this little mystery later. It is time to leave the warehouse. The search wasn’t a complete waste at all. As he slid the picture inside his pocket, he heard a loud crash. He ran out of the office and came to a halt in the middle of the catwalk when he saw Baymax sprawling on the ground. Standing over him is a group of Kabuki-masked men led by a small, chubby man wearing a colorful suit. Baymax is tied up and covered in glowing net that emit electrical sparks every time he tries to move.

 ** _“Baymax!”_** Hiro screamed.

“Ohoho,” Mr. Sparkles glanced up to the catwalk. A Cheshire cat smile played on his lips. “I just knew the robot isn’t alone. Boys, we gotta skidaddle faster!” He clapped his hands, signaling the Yokai mooks to start dragging the huge robot.

Hiro turned on his communicator; he had to call his friends quickly. “Gogo! Wasabi! If there’s anyone who can hear me and is nearby—come hurry! The Shiragiku is here! They’re trying to take Baymax!”

He sensed someone behind him. Before he can turn around to defend himself, he was suddenly kicked over the railing. His helmet flew off and fell to the ground below, smashing on impact. Hiro would have fallen off as well but he managed to hold on to the railing. The back of his head is throbbing but he didn’t dare let go of his grip. No matter how much he tried to pull himself up, it was too difficult. The ground is too far away to jump down, he would break his legs.

Baymax tried to get up, keeping his eyes on his distressed patient who is hanging helplessly from the catwalk. He had to escape and help Hiro.

“Hiro,” he called out. He forced himself to move on all fours despite the electrical net keep zapping him. The Yokai mooks are standing around looking at Mr. Sparkles for his advice.

“What do we do? The net is useless against him!” one of them shouted.

Mr. Sparkles rolled his eyes. “Tsk, tsk, you give up too easily… You have to deactivate him.”

He pushed his way through the mooks and looked at Baymax’s armor carefully. He pulled out a rubber glove and puts it on. “Watch how daddy works~”

He reached his gloved hand into the net and opened Baymax’s access port. He saw a green nursechip and pulled it out. Baymax’s body went limp and he stopped moving.

“No! Put it back!” Hiro demanded. “You have no right to take it!”

He felt someone stepping his fingers and he cried in pain. Hiro’s eyes moved upwards to see Karasu looking down at him. So he was the one who kicked him over. Hiro’s blood began to boil as he glared at Karasu, hating him with every inch of his fiber in his body.

“You!” he snarled. “What do you want with Baymax?! Are you here to find the rest of Callaghan’s microbots as well?”

“Microbots…?” Karasu asked. He quickly understood what Hiro meant and he chuckled cruelly. “Why would I want to find the microbots left by the old man I personally killed?”

Hiro was taken aback. “You… were the one who killed Callaghan at Jigoku Prison?”

“You could say that,” Karasu said. Even though the mask his covering his lower face, Hiro could tell Karasu is smirking. “Mukuro wanted that pathetic traitor eliminated for making him angry.”

“Traitor?” Hiro repeated the word. “You mean… he worked for you?”

“Karasu, we better leave!” Mr. Sparkles shouted. He pulled out a device which summoned a whirling portal hole which reminded Hiro of Project Silent Sparrow.

 _So, that’s how they're able to disappear so easily,_ he thought. _They must have stolen Krei’s teleportation technology as well!_

“I’ll catch up with you later,” Karasu told his comrade. His tone has shifted from laidback to serious. “I already got what I came here for, so I’m taking my time.”

“What shall I do with this robot’s chip?”

“… Destroy it.”

 _“Wait, no! Don’t!!”_ Hiro screamed while he was forced to watch Mr. Sparkles using his heel to stomp on the nursechip with sadistic glee. Then he and the Yokai mooks pulled Baymax’s deactivated body into the portal before they disappeared completely.

“You bastard… Give him back!” Hiro angrily cried. “He’s my friend!”

Karasu just stared at Hiro. He knelt down and grabbed Hiro’s chin, forcing him to look at him. Hiro stared into the man’s dark eyes. There was something familiar about them, but they were too hostile for Hiro to think clearly.

“Listen, Hiro Hamada…”

 _He knows who I am,_ Hiro thought, paralyzed in fear.

“I would destroy you right now, but I was given orders by Mukuro not to,” Karasu continued. “He sees you as a threat to his plans, but I personally think he is wrong… You’re just a washed-up embarrassment. You don’t have what it takes to take on Shiragiku... I know who you are and where you live. I even know your greatest fears. If you value your life, as well as your friends’ lives… You’ll stay away.”

He removed his hand from Hiro’s chin. He pulled out a taser-stick and turned it on. It sparked dangerously.

“As for why we took your robot… we’ve had our eyes on it for a long time.”

“Baymax isn’t yours to take!” Hiro spat, his voice hoarse. His arms are losing their strength; he’s going to fall any time soon. “You didn’t even build him!”

“You didn’t even create him either, so he isn’t yours to use either.”

Karasu pulled opened his mask to reveal his full face. Half of his face is covered in burns, and he’s growing a stubble. The shadows over him made it almost hard for his face to be shown clearly. Up close, however, Hiro’s eyes widen and his jaw slacked in absolute horror. His imagination is playing a cruel trick on him.

“T… Tadashi…?”

The man’s face was unreadable.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he sneered. “Do I look like your dead brother?”

Hiro tried to find his words but the electrical shock of the taser struck him all over. His body twitched violently while his agonizing screams echoed all over the warehouse. He lost his grip and he fell. It felt like he’s been falling forever. As soon he finally landed, he blacked out.

* * *

When he came to, he heard his friends calling his name. He groaned and opened his eyes. He saw his teammates crowding around him and Hiro realized he has his head lying on Honey’s lap. He even noticed the rain has stopped falling outside. How long has he been unconscious?

“Hiro, you’re okay!” Wasabi smiled, sighing with relief.

“We got your message earlier but it got cut off,” Gogo said. “All of us tried to get here as fast as we can, and we found you lying here--”

“Baymax,” Hiro suddenly said. He sat up in a hurry. His body hurts all over but he doesn’t care. “Shiragiku has taken Baymax! We have to find him!”

“Hiro, don’t move yet!” Honey holds him back down. “You might have broken some bones or worse!”

“I don’t care!” Hiro panted. “Karasu was here… he had Baymax’s chip destroyed!”

Fred holds up the robot’s damaged nursechip. It had huge cracks all over. “I don’t think so. I mean, not completely,” the school mascot said with a comforting smile. “It might still be fixed.”

Hiro began to cry. He was so helpless, he couldn’t save Baymax. And the mysterious man who calls himself Karasu was a monster. His threats terrified Hiro, so much more than Callaghan ever did. Hiro could have sworn Karasu looked like his brother.

Except, that’s impossible… Tadashi was dead. Aunt Cass even confirmed his burnt body which was him when it was recovered from the burn down building. Hiro didn’t want to look at his brother’s corpse; he wanted to preserve his brother’s clean face in his memories. Tadashi was cremated and then buried in the cemetery. Hiro was on that funeral that days to say his goodbyes again.

Losing Baymax made him feel like he lost his brother all over again.

 _“I couldn’t do anything to anything to stop them!”_ Hiro wept. He was shaking like a little child who just woken up from a terrible nightmare. _“I was so scared! I wish Tadashi was here!”_

Gogo pulled him into tight hug. Hiro’s body stopped trembling as he buried his face on her shoulder. The others rubbed his back to let him know he isn’t alone.

“Tadashi will always be here, Hiro,” Gogo said softly. Her hand stroked his hair. “We are here too. And we’re going stop Shiragiku together. It’s going to be okay…”

Hiro continued to cry but he made a promise to himself that he will save Baymax so Big Hero 6 will be complete once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Poor Hiro, not only he has Baymax taken away from him but a mysterious stranger who resembled his brother attacked him. But is Karasu really Tadashi, or they just coincidentally resemble each other (like the Goku and Turles thing from the DBZ movies)?
> 
> And why was Hiro's dad acquainted with Callaghan and Ishioka? Hmmm...))


	9. The Secret White Chrysanthemum Organization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro, Gogo, and Wasabi went to a sketchy neighborhood to find Yama.

**Chapter 8**

Hiro has been miserable for days followed after Baymax was kidnapped right under his nose. The first time he and Baymax were separated, the robot sacrificed himself so Hiro and Abigail will escape and live. This current situation is far different; Baymax wasn’t allowed to be given a choice. The boy genius wished he could have done something, even risking an injury, just for any possible chance he could stopped Shiragiku from taking his best friend. Unfortunately, Karasu was one step ahead of him. Hiro replayed that scene of him dangling from the catwalk while that mysterious man taunted and threatened him. Karasu’s chilling voice resonated in Hiro’s mind to the point he suffered nightmares.

Despite losing Baymax, Hiro at least learned crucial information that night: Callaghan WAS involved with Shiragiku in some way and was killed by them.

Hiro’s friends remained strong by his side and comforted Hiro whenever they can. The five of them continued doing helping the San Fransokyo, working harder without Baymax. Hiro managed to fix Baymax’s programming nurse chip—which contained Baymax’s personality and coding— the best he can. Aside from the cracks, there was no other serious damage but Hiro isn’t sure if it would work again.

In their secret base at Fred’s mansion, Hiro set up the monitor to locate the whereabouts of Baymax’s body using the nursebot’s installed GPS system. So far, Baymax has not shown up anywhere in the map of the city but Big Hero 6 is prepared to rescue him—or whatever what’s left of his original self.

He also wanted to focus more upgrading suits and weapons for his team, but his friends insist he should pay attention to school for the time being, to help get his mind off from superhero work and his guilt. However, SFIT was not the best choice even though they have their best intentions…

* * *

One day, Professor Lebur stopped by Hiro’s lab during lunch. Hiro is hoping he could get on Lebur’s good side.

“I heard you’ve been making further developments with your microbots?” Lebur questioned. The old teacher has recovered from his injuries after Shiragiku’s attack though some faint bruises still remain and a big bandage stuck on his forehead.

“Yeah, I am,” Hiro said, typing on on his computer. On his desk, hooked to his computer, is a silvery-white microbot floating inside a glass jar which Hiro used to study it. “But they’re far from finished.”

“What’s taking it so long then?” Lebur demanded.

“Well, this is a new and very sophisticated programming I’m working on, and I can’t mess around with the connection. Don’t worry, by the end of this quarter, you’re gonna freak when you see this,” Hiro kept his tone as cool and polite as he can. “Besides, I have a favor to ask you.”

He stops his work and closes his computer screen. He then pulls out a permission slip from his desk and gave it to Lebur, who just stared at it.

“What is this?” Lebur asked grumpily.

“Well, a request to get special part to build actuators,” Hiro answered. “It needs to be approved and signed by my Robotics teacher.”

“I know that, but I would like to know the reason why you need them.”

Hiro paused and replied in a tiny voice, “I want to rebuild another caregiver robot.” After realizing that it may be futile to find his robotic friend, Hiro decided an alternate way to bring back Baymax. He didn’t know why he didn’t think of this idea before since it was so obvious.

Lebur narrowed his eyes at his student. “Request denied.”

“What?!” Hiro gasped. “But… Baymax is an important project to Tadashi Hamada, I want to continue it!”

“I was aware he was invented by your brother and the school allowed you to rebuild his robot when you enrolled here,” Lebur said. “However, that was a personal request and your Baymax was not created for the school. SFIT may allow you to do whatever you want with its resources, but I won’t stand for hoarding all your inventions without contributing anything in return.”

“Just this once,” Hiro begged. “Please, Professor Lebur. I won’t ask anything from you, or make you the laughingstock in class ever again…”

Lebur rubs his chin, wearing a strange smug smirk. He seems to be thinking of an idea.

“Tell you what, Hamada,” he said slowly. He began to act friendly towards Hiro, which is rather unlike him. “I’ll freely let you have whatever parts you need to build a robot, no permission slip needed… if you make me owner of your microbot technology.”

Hiro stares and shakes his head. He moves his body to block his professor’s greedy eyes on his microbot. “But I created them. I did all the work…”

“Be sensible, _Hiro_ ,” Lebur said, emphasizing Hiro’s name. “Do you think anyone would be excited to see your invention after it has tarnished Robert Callaghan’s reputation? Give it to me since I have a better chances of making this state-of-the-art technology famous… rather than someone from your own background.”

Hiro went quiet. This was his last chance to rebuild a new body for Baymax but he knew the nursebot wouldn’t want his patient to give away his important project. He crossed his arms and leaned against his seat, glowering directly at his teacher.

“No can do,” he said.

Lebur leaned forward and grinned, showing his yellow teeth. “Too bad.”

* * *

For the rest of the day, Hiro was sullen during his classes and kept to himself which brought concern to his friends. When the last bell rang, he went straight home without talking to anyone.

Inside his bedroom, Hiro flopped on his bed, burying his face into the pillow. He couldn’t stop thinking of Professor Lebur trying to get him to hand over his microbots to him. He also couldn’t stop thinking of Baymax and he wished his friend is here to comfort him. The remains of Baymax’s nursechip is sitting inside a petri dish on Hiro’s desk, reminding the boy of his failure and loss.

Despair filled him and for the first time since Tadashi’s death, Hiro felt hopeless and unsure what to do next. He heard his cellphone ringing and he picked it up to see who was calling him.

“Wasabi?” he asked, placing the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Hiro,” Wasabi greeted him. There was worry in his voice. “What happened? You left without telling us.”

“Sorry.” Hiro rubbed his face. “Lebur won’t give me the parts to rebuild Baymax unless I give my new microbots to him.”

Wasabi made a scathing noise. “I can’t believe he did that. He’s a teacher!”

Hiro lay in his bed, staring at his posters on the ceiling in silence.

“Anything I can do to make you feel better, little man?” Wasabi asked.

“No, but thanks anyway.  I’ll be alright for our regular patrol later tonight.”

“Yeah, about that… Honey is going to her first day of her part-time job at the Sweet Bean café, and Fred got sick. I told him not to eat that old sandwich he found inside his couch during lunch.”

“So, it’s just you, me, and Gogo,” Hiro said. “It’s not so bad.”

“Speaking of Gogo, she wanted to tell you this when school ended, but you left before she got the chance. You know her older sister is a cop, right?”

Hiro became interested and he sat up. “Yeah. What about it?”

“Last night, she overheard June talking to her co-worker on the phone regarding a case involving those masked Shiragiku members who were at the trade fair,” Wasabi explaid. “It turns out that one of those guys was a member of Yama’s gang. Gogo said that she got a clue where we can find Yama.”

* * *

Hiro finished preparing some devices that would assist him and his team for the infiltration. It was around dinner time when he felt his stomach grumbling with hunger, but Hiro was too excited to think about eating. For the first time in weeks, his team finally has a lead on Yama’s whereabouts. Without even changing his clothes, Hiro packed the necessary items into his backpack and bounded down the stairs. He stopped and saw Aunt Cass talking to someone on her phone. She had been in the middle of chopping up vegetables for dinner. Hiro stood in the landing as he watched his aunt ranting to the caller.

“… No, you listen, Aiji!” Aunt Cass snapped. “I’ve raised him and took care of him when he arrived at my front door. I know my nephew better than you!”

 _Aunt Cass must be talking to Uncle Aiji,_ Hiro thought, referring to the older brother of his father. Hiro only met his uncle a few times since he’s usually busy with work and his personal life. For some reason, Aunt Cass always seemed to become bitter whenever he’s brought up and when Hiro asked Tadashi about it, Tadashi said their aunt and uncle never got along.

According to Tadashi, when their parents died, Uncle Aiji wanted to adopt them but Aunt Cass got to her nephews first since she’s the sister of their mom. Ugly words were shared and since then, the two could hardly stand sharing the same room with each other.

Hiro remembered the last time he’s seen his uncle was on Tadashi’s funeral.

* * *

_After everyone returned to the café from the cemetery, Hiro quickly isolated himself from everyone. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts and grief that he could only hear a few snippets of conversations from friends and relatives. He heard someone shouting angrily and he took a peek from the stairs he made refuge from. He spotted his uncle, a sharp-looking man in spectacles, being held back from relatives while his aunt stared at him._

**_“CASSANDRA!!”_ ** _Aiji screamed, his face crushed with pain. He looked ready to tear Cass apart. **“YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU’D LOOK AFTER HIM!”**_

_While he was dragged away, Cass retreated from the guests. She didn’t break down in tears but Hiro knew how much she was hurting. He watched his friends from SFIT—Tadashi’s friends—comfort her; even Honey offered her a cup of hot tea._

* * *

Back in the current day, Hiro continued to stand awkwardly while watching Aunt Cass yelling at his unseen uncle. She’s not aware that Hiro’s in the same room yet.

“I don’t spend fifty hours a week working in a boring office! At least I have a social life! … Aiji?! … PRICK!” Cass slammed the phone down. She turned around and her anger switched to embarrassment as soon she saw her nephew. She flushed and stammered, “Oh, Hiro! I didn’t know you were there… I’m sorry you have to see that.”

“It’s okay, Auntie,” Hiro smiled sheepishly. He tried to think of something to make her feel better. “Man, Uncle Aiji must have been a pain-in-the-neck, huh?”

“Tell me about it,” Cass rolled her eyes and went back preparing the dinner. She started chopping the vegetables harder and with more enthusiasm. “He doesn’t appreciate how much I’ve taken care of you and Tadashi…”

Hiro walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Well, you’re the best aunt I’ve got,” he said kindly.

Cass smiled before changing the subject. “So, are you going off somewhere? I’m going to make dinner soon.”

“Yeah, Wasabi and Gogo called. They needed some help on a group project we’re doing in class,” Hiro quickly lied.

His aunt looked disappointed for a moment but she shrugged her shoulders. “Well, alright. It’s beat poetry night, so I’ll keep the café open when you come home, okay?”

“Thanks.” Hiro then wrapped his arms around her. “Last hug.”

Hiro stepped out and saw Wasabi’s van just rolled into the street. Gogo is sitting in the passenger’s seat. Hiro climbed into the backseat.

“Alright, where to, guys?” he asked.

“We’re going to a bar called the Gun Show,” Gogo told him. “My sister says it’s usually the favorite hang-out spot for Yama and his gang. We might find information of Yama there.”

“Hiro, this place is located in the sketchiest parts in Spider-Lily Avenue,” Wasabi said. “It’s probably not safe for you to come along.”

“I don’t care,” Hiro said.

“Okay, but you better stay low,” Gogo warned him. “Where we’re going, minors like you aren’t supposed to be seen at this hour.”

While Wasabi drove his van through the city, Hiro was occupied with his thoughts. He had not told his friends of the strange picture he found at the warehouse yet, though a part of him wanted to keep it a secret just for a little longer. He felt like he wanted to discover the mystery of his dad’s relationship with Callaghan and Ishioka on his own.

* * *

Wasabi made a turn and the group came to a street with colorful warm lights blaring down at them. Nestled near the downtown area, Spider-Lily Avenue is an entertainment and red-light district in San Fransokyo. The neighborhood houses over a thousand burlesque nightclubs, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and theaters. Underneath all the eye-popping sights, moving further to the end of the district and hidden in the narrow dirty alleys, Spider-Lily Avenue is also notorious for its gambling, liquor stores, illegal drug trade, and prostitution. Despite its seedy reputation, it is a safe area attracting many tourists to its vibrant nightlife. The streets are filled with neon lights and sidewalks are always bustled with huge, wild crowds.

“Here we are,” Gogo said as she and her friends look around. “My sister says this neighborhood has a lot of criminal gangs with over a hundred different enterprises under their control. The police patrolled around here often to minimize criminal activity while clamping down illegal clubs and brothels, putting them out of business.”

“How are we going to find the Yama Gang’s bar?” Hiro asked, looking at a couple of winking at him when the van passed by them.

“It’s supposed to be located across the oldest kabuki theater,” Gogo answered.

“I really don’t like this place,” Wasabi whined, sweating in fear.

“I don’t like it too,” Gogo agreed. “We should have brought our suits with us, Hiro.”

Wasabi maneuvered his van through the narrow streets until it came to the desolated area of the district, with few shops and less tourists visiting. The dilapidated street is dark and bleak, with graffiti all over walls and piles of litter lying on the sidewalks. Only a small several people, delinquents and homeless alike, are seen and they cast suspicious looks at Wasabi’s shiny van as though it was unwelcome here and would only cause trouble.

Hiro and his friends finally arrived at their destination and parked the van at a lot next to the kabuki theater. Across the theater is a pachinko parlor, a club which read “Rose Parade: Live Nude Hunks Inside”, and a run-down bar with a neon red sign which glowed “The Gun Show”. A tall bouncer stood outside the front door, making sure no minors or any undercover cop can enter. A motorcyclist in a dark blue leather jacket rolled into small parking lot in the front of the bar. He climbed off from his bike and, keeping his black helmet on, strolled inside the bar after briefly nodding at the bouncer.

Hiro reached into his backpack to pull out a headphone for himself and two small pins for Wasabi and Gogo.

“You put this on your clothes,” he add. “They will pick up and record any audio and transfer to my headphone. You guys be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect Wasabi,” Gogo smirked.

Hiro stayed inside the van while Gogo and Wasabi head toward the bar, who are both feeling anxious and nervous of seeing what’s inside. Gogo sensed Wasabi trembling but instead of telling him to “woman up” (like she always did), she wrapped her arm around his, locking them close together.

“G-Gogo?” Wasabi squeaked. “What are you doing?”

“Protecting you like I promised,” she whispered to him.

Wasabi couldn’t help but blush. “R-really? … I thought you were just joking.”

The bouncer saw them approaching. He stared at them suspiciously but he let the two in without asking for their IDS.

Hiro adjust the sounds on his communicator, while keeping an eye on anything suspicious in the neighborhood. Playful jazz and J-pop music and loud laughter can be heard in different corners, and Hiro spotted old posters of past botbattles that have taken place in this district. Hiro isn’t used to sitting around to wait; the temptation became so strong that he stepped out of the safety of Wasabi’s van. He could go for a short walk around the block, not just for some fresh air but the relishing the old rush of walking into dangerous territory.

Hiro pull the hood of his jacket over his head and left the parking lot.

* * *

Inside the bar, Gogo and Wasabi were met with a hard rock music blasting loudly from the jukebox. The walls are made of mahogany and the air is filled of suffocating tobacco smoke and beer scents. Framed pictures hanging on the walls are full of Japanese woodblock prints. The patrons are mostly consist of sweaty, tattooed men of different ages and sizes drinking, playing cards and billiards, while the rowdy ones are picking a fight with one another.

Wasabi and Gogo stood frozen in their spot as they watch an unlucky man gets thrown around and beaten up by another man bigger than him, and then crashed into table. The bigger man performed a diving elbow drop and knocked the poor guy out. The other patrons didn’t seem to mind as though this was a regular thing that happens in the bar.

“I want to go home,” Wasabi whimpered.

“Not yet,” Gogo stopped him. She dragged him to the bar, away from all the roughhousing. A female bartender greeted the two with a crooked smile. Despite her old age, she was wearing a lot of make-up and dressed in a rather in an inappropriate clothing.

“Hello, first time here?” she asked. “What would you like?”

“Both of us will have beer,” Gogo replied, appearing cool.

However, Wasabi scanned nervously around the place. Several men were staring at him and Gogo. They seemed hungry, and their eyes were strangely predatory. Paranoia crept in on the burly neatnik and he began to panic that these men had some kind of sinister agenda.

“It’s alright, darling,” the bartender said, sensing Wasabi’s uneasiness. She adjusted her bra straps under her tight blouse, which made her breast bounce. Apparently, this is her attempt to flirt with Wasabi. “Just pretend to act all alpha and those meatheads will ignore you.”

Wasabi blinked. “Thanks, Mrs…”

“Matsuda. But you can call me ‘Mimi’ if you want, big boy~”

The elderly bartender returned with two mugs of cold beer. Gogo drank hers down without a complaint while Wasabi nearly gagged from the horrible bitter taste.

“Cool bar you have here,” Gogo complimented the bartender.

“Thanks, but I don’t own this place,” Mrs. Matsuda said. “Mr. Yama does.”

Gogo and Wasabi both perked up as soon they heard the name.

“Mr. Yama? That famous botfighter, or the leader of the Yama Gang?” Wasabi questioned, trying to play innocent and curious.

In the far corner of the bar, unbeknownst to Gogo and Wasabi, the mysterious biker in dark leather jacket pulled out a cellphone to make a call.

Mrs. Matsuda began to look uneasy. “He’s actually both of those,” she replied. She lowered her voice. “What business do you have with him?”

“Nothing, we--” Wasabi began but she cuts him off.

“If you’re both undercover cops trying find him, forget it. Yama hasn’t stepped into this bar for weeks. I’d be happier to see that scoundrel locked away for good.”

“Um…”

Wasabi and Gogo exchanged each other’s looks. This piece of information and Mrs. Matsuda’s eagerness to see Yama arrested threw them off-guard. There’s no point hiding things from her.

“You’re right, my friend and I here are looking for him,” Wasabi said, keeping his voice low so no one else inside the bar can hear him. “You sure you don’t know where he could be?”

“Ha! If I knew, I’d walked up to his door and give him a piece of my mind after he and his men scared most of my customers away.” Mrs. Matsuda spat into an empty mug and began cleaning it with a rag. Wasabi’s face turned green at the sight. “In this district, everybody here knows every criminal known in San Fransokyo.”

Gogo realized she and Wasabi came all this way here for nothing. But she recalled Hiro’s theory of Yama’s involvement with a certain mysterious organization.

She leaned forward and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “Well, do you know anything about Mukuro and Shiragiku?”

The music of the jukebox suddenly stopped playing and the whole bar went quiet. Gogo looked around to see the patrons staring at her, their faces filled with fear and suspicion. Even Mrs. Matsuda’s face went pale.

“Young lady, don’t say his name out loud!” she gasped.

“So, you do know who Mukuro is,” Wasabi stated.

“Of course, I do,” Mrs. Matsuda huffed. Her face darkened. “Many years ago, Shiragiku was a secret organization that it was rumored that its original members consists of former Yakuza and Mafia criminals. But they were nothing compared to their boss Mukuro. Some say he was like a demon in human form, because he was so cruel and vile. He was a serial kidnapper, murderer, and terrorist. If he ever takes someone as hostage, especially a little child, he doesn’t let them live even if the ransom is paid. And his evil weapons… they destroyed so many lives and his traps hinder those who tried to stop him. He has spies everywhere who will report everything to him, and anyone who gets on his bad side, not only his assassins will kill them but their family as well.”

“Jeez, he sounds like someone you’d invite over for an afternoon tea with,” Gogo commented sarcastically.

“Was he ever caught?” Wasabi asked.

“Never.”Mrs. Matsuda went on, “Nobody knows what his real name or what he looks like since he always escapes from the police. For three years he and his organization caused terror and chaos in Shiragiku until one day, twenty-eight years ago… they were mysteriously stopped. Those who were working for Shiragiku were rounded up and arrested but Mukuro had vanished. Everyone thought he was gone for good until he made his reappearance at the SFIT trade fair.”

“Wait, if he was such a huge threat back then, how come we’ve never heard of him?” Gogo demanded, raising an eyebrow.

“Any mention of Shiragiku was all covered up by the government. It’s better to pretend he never existed,” Mrs. Matsuda answered. “Mukuro’s name became a taboo by most of the public who still remembered him. Even though we thought he was completely gone, his name still gives me the chills.”

Wasabi and Gogo looked at each other; they didn’t realize how much of an effect Shiragiku has on people who knew them. This problem has turned out to be a bigger trouble than they expected.

“Thanks for this… delightful talk,” Wasabi smiled sheepishly. “I think we better be going…”

“One last question, Matsuda,” Gogo leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Do you think Yama might be working for Shiragiku?”

“I would not be surprised, but he’s way out of Mukuro’s league in terms of reputation,” Mrs. Matsuda grunted. Her eyes widened as though something clicked inside her. “Can you two keep a secret?”

Gogo and Wasabi nodded in unison. Mrs. Matsuda shifted her eyes and inhaled.

“The last time he was here, he was boasting to his gang that he’s working with this guy, and they’re going to build something.”

“Build something? Like what?” Gogo inquired.

“I don’t know. I hope it was the drink making him spew nonsense, but he said this machine is going to destroy San Fransokyo--”

Out of the blue, a huge explosion was heard outside the bar. Everyone looked out the window to see what caused the noise. Wasabi and Gogo ran out and a horrifying sight met them; Wasabi’s was covered in flames and its parts were scattered everywhere.

 _“My car!”_ Wasabi wailed.

Gogo remembered they left someone inside the van. **_“NO! HIRO!”_**

“Look!” Mrs. Matsuda pointed a wrinkly finger. There was a huge sketch of a chrysanthemum on the street, as though someone had drew it after planting a bomb in Wasabi’s van. The old lady turned to the two college students. “This is Shiragiku’s calling card! _Mukuro must be nearby!_ ”

Wasabi grabbed Gogo’s arm when he saw her about to run towards the burning wreckage.

“Gogo, don’t!” he shouted, pulling her back.

“But, Hiro… We left Hiro in there!” Gogo tried to fight against his grip.

Out of the shadows and hiding corners of the street, came several people wearing kabuki masks and matching dark uniform. They’re all wielding weapons. Mrs. Matsuda and her patrons quickly shut the door to hide, leaving Gogo and Wasabi alone with the Shiragiku members.

Gogo held up her clenched fists together, glaring at her enemies. She sensed Wasabi going into defense stance as well beside her.

“Bring it on,” she hissed. “Did you blow up the car? Our friend was in there!”

“Too bad for him,” one of them chuckled.

Before the Yokai Mooks can take them on, police sirens were heard approaching down the street. They quickly dispersed until all of them are gone. Gogo and Wasabi looked around to see where they ran off to when they saw the mysterious motorcyclist standing on the roof of the bar. He had been watching the scene from above. He pulled off his helmet to catch some air to reveal himself as Karasu.

Karasu shared a brief, silent look with the two secret superheroes, but it felt like forever.

“Hey--! You there!” Gogo called out, but Karasu engulfed himself in thick smoke that covers his entire body. And then he was gone.

“How did he do that?” Wasabi was befuddled by Karasu’s trick.

“It doesn’t matter, we have to go after him!” Gogo said.

A cruiser stopped in front of them and a familiar female police officer stepped out.

“Okay, folks! Step away!” Officer June Park announced. She paused when she spotted Gogo outside a shady bar in the middle of the street. Her fierce expression is mixed with worry and shock. “Sang-hwa? What are you doing here?!”

Gogo knew she and Wasabi are in for so much trouble.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hiro had been wandering around the middle, crowded areas of Spider-Lily Avenue for nearly half an hour and had completely forgotten his mission. He is now sitting outside of a shop, enjoying a smoothie. All these new sights caught his eyes and he wished he has more eyes in the back of his head so he could see everything.

Across the street is an arcade which was mysteriously empty despite it being open. Hiro saw a sign that says, “Minors Not Allowed without Adult Supervision.” Hiro looked at the harmless game cabinets through the clear glass and realized some illegal gambling is happening in the back of the room.

“The nerve of some people,” he sighed.

He saw a couple of men emerging from the arcade. To his surprise, Yasuo is with them. Hiro left his smoothie cup and went to follow them. Hiro kept his distance and he saw them stopping in front of an ATM machine in an empty street corner. He hides behind a mailbox as he listens to their conversation.

“That’s an easy five hundred bucks we’ve won!” he heard one of them spoke up. “Ikuya, this kid’s skills are like magic!’

“These are the perks of being related to a genius, Blair,” his companion said, whose name is Ikuya. “I told you I’d get Yasuo to do anything for me. Isn’t that right, Yasuo?”

The two men with Yasuo looked like to be around college-aged though there was a slimy look in their faces. The first one is tall and muscular, with a bandana wrapped around his dirty blond hair and wears a tight t-shirt and black boots. The other is slender, wears red glasses, and a casual jacket over a loose shirt and necktie; his hair is black and he has some resemblance to Yasuo.

Yasuo didn’t say anything. While Ikuya and Blair are keeping watch, Yasuo pulled out his palmtop and a ribbon that connects from his computer to the ATM machine. He then inserted a debit card into the ATM. He scanned the coding on his computer screen and quickly typed to crack the PIN number.

“This is like some scene that came straight out of a movie,” Hiro muttered. “So, Yasuo is some kind of hacker…”

“Are you done yet?” Ikuya demanded. “Hurry up!”

Soon, Yasuo managed finish cracking the debit card’s PIN and withdraw money.

“Three hundred, just like you wanted,” he said in a monotone voice. Hiro saw his face devoid of emotion.

Blair is awed and he placed the bills inside his pocket. The group then strolled into a dark alley. Curious to know where they’re going, Hiro followed them. Ikuya’s friend Blair then said something which caught Hiro’s ears.

“We should hit the pachinko machines next. We got to raise about 3,000 bucks for the big botfight game tomorrow tonight. I heard Yama will be there.”

“Alright, but we gotta do one thing quick,” Ikuya said. “I’m supposed to bring him home by 10 o’clock.”

 _They mentioned Yama. Maybe I can find out where this botfight game where he’ll show up,_ Hiro thought. _And why is Yasuo with them?_

* * *

The group came to an area where nobody else is around. Hiro hid behind the dumpster so he could watch.

Yasuo went to sit on top of a wooden box crate nearby and pulled out his palmtop from his fanny pack which was around his waist. He turned on his palmtop and began to work.

“After you download the copies from our school’s test papers, you better answer them for me and Blair,” Ikuya ordered.

“I have to get around your school’s system securities first,” Yasuo told him. He appeared harsh and empty. “You can’t rush these things.”

Ikuya scoffed. “Though, if my teachers somehow changed the questions, you can always hack into their computers and changed my grades.”

“Wanna know something funny? Hacking porn sites into the school computers as a joke,” Blair suggested. Both he and Ikuya laughed.

Yasuo stopped typing and muttered something low in Japanese.

“What was that?” Ikuya asked.

“… Nothing,” Yasuo denied.

“Heh, look at him,” Blair snorted as he pulled out a cigarette to smoke. “He’s like a shut-in freak obsessed with his computer.”

“You’re not far off, Blair,” Ikuya snickered. “Uncle Daichi said he doesn’t stand out in classes and refused to join any clubs at his last school.”

Yasuo remained silent and a shadow fell over his face. He just continued to keep working on his computer while he let his cousin and his friend abuse him with their words.

“Don’t you have any other hobbies, kid?” Blair asked.

Yasuo ignored him and finished answering all the questions of the test papers he illegally obtained with his hacking skills. He knows these two are probably not going to graduate with high scores and they only came to him because of the upcoming tests. He places the files into a USB and gave it the device to his cousin.

“Thanks, cuz,” Ikuya grinned. “You better hope you got everything right. It’s only five bucks for each wrong answer. You’re rich, so you can afford them.”

Yasuo pressed his lips together and his expression darkened. His fingers twitched dangerously, inching closer to the pocket of his pants.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you gonna say anything?” Ikuya chuckled. “Living in Japan had turned wimpy little Yasuo into a coldhearted weirdo.”

Hiro had enough. He was about to jump out from the dumpster to stop them when Ikuya turned to Blair.

“Okay, let’s go play some pachinko! And then later, karaoke!” he said cheerfully. He looked back to his cousin. “I’ll see you next time if I needed more help with money and homework.”

After Ikuya and Blair both left the alley, Yasuo sighed heavily and shut his palmtop computer with a snap. He felt so relieved to be alone again, just like he wanted.

“Hey,” a voice spoke up.

Yasuo’s head shot up. His eyes widen in shock when he saw Hiro approaching him.

“How long have you been here, Hamada?” he questioned.

“Um, for a while.” Hiro saw no point in lying. He rubbed his neck, feeling awkward. “I saw what those guys did to you… We should tell the police.”

Yasuo was taken aback. He slowly shook his head. “I can’t, Ikuya is my cousin from my mom’s side. Getting him in trouble would only get me in trouble.”

He jumped off from the crate and opened his fanny pack to retrieve some contents inside. He took out a medication bottle and swallowed one pill with a small water bottle.

“But they were mean to you. They were using you,” Hiro protested. “You shouldn’t let them bully you around like that.”

“What can I even do? They can hurt me real bad if they want to.” Yasuo returned the contents inside his fanny pack. His face appeared to be tired and sad, even when he puts on an unfriendly, withdrawn front for Hiro. “If I stay quiet and don’t show any weakness, they’ll ignore me. My father’s is busy with work and… he has enough troubles already. I don’t want to burden him…”

Hiro wished he could think of something to make Yasuo feel better. He felt his mouth watering for something sweet and his stomach began to rumble.

“Hey, Yasuo? If you’re not busy right now, would you like to come with me?” he asked slowly. “We can go eat a snack ate some restaurant.”

Yasuo raised his eyebrows in curiosity. “Why?”

“I haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m famished,” answered Hiro with a grin. “What about you?”

Yasuo’s eyes darted away from Hiro’s hazel gaze. “I don’t want to be a bother,” he mumbled.

“I’ll pay for both of us, it’s no problem!” Hiro insisted. He doesn’t want to leave Yasuo alone, especially in a dangerous neighborhood like Spider-Lily Avenue.

Yasuo placed his hair behind his ear, like a personal habit, before he finally agreed to Hiro’s invitation. After all, he has no other plans right now.

“Okay, then,” he smiled.

Just then, Hiro heard his cellphone ringing inside the pocket of his hoodie jacket. He pulled it out and turned it on.

 “Hello?”

 _“Hiro?! Thank god, you’re alive!”_ Gogo screamed. She sounded like she was panicking. _“Where are you, you knucklehead?! Wasabi and I thought Shiragiku has taken you!”_

“Whoa, Gogo! Calm down!” Hiro cried. “What are you talking about?”

 _“I’ll tell you once we meet up! If I wasn’t so glad to hear you’re okay, I’d strangle you!”_ Gogo continued yelling.

“Alright, I’ll see you soon!” Hiro hangs up and gave a guilty look to Yasuo. “Maybe we’ll hang out next time, okay? We can go visit the arcade and other cool places!”

Yasuo continued smiling and nodded, “I hope so.”

As soon Hiro hurried off, Yaasuo’s smile disappeared and it was replaced with a frown. Even though he agrees to spend time with Hiro, he’s waiting for that inevitable moment where Hiro—like everyone else before him—asked for something from him in return before casting him away. Yasuo disliked being fooled and used, but he will succumb and play along to whatever whims hiding sinister motives from anyone who calls themselves a “friend.”

When that time comes, he’ll harden his heart once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I am sorry for this super-late update! I've been busy with a temporary work, and the modem for the internet connection on my laptop has been dead for days. I hope you enjoy this chapter!))


	10. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and his friends find a clue to a secret rally held by Shiragiku, and an old friend returns.

**Chapter 9**

The Sweet Bean café is a popular haunt for young couples to enjoy fresh coffee together on a cold, foggy evening. The entire place is just a big, circular room with pale, orange lightning to set the romantic mood and the air is filled with all kinds of chocolate and coffee scents.

With the atmosphere being cozy and inviting, Fred felt like he was in heaven. He felt bad for lying to Wasabi earlier that he has diarrhea so he can skip superhero patrol duty, but spending time with his girlfriend Stephanie erases his guilt away.

Stephanie is sitting across him at their table. She is idly picking apart a strawberry shortcake with a fork while looking at a poster. Across her, Fred babbled on about an obscure comic book series which he’s a huge fan of. Working behind the counter, Honey is part-time barista and is serving espresso-based coffee drinks to the other customers.

“… And then Megazon and his archenemy Krogar teleported to one of the moons of Saturn so they can continue their ultimate battle there!” Fred stated, his voice dripped with enthusiasm. “Unfortunately, the creator died before he could finish the series, so the winner of that battle remains a mystery to this day.”

Fred sighed dramatically, lowering his head in disappointment. “It really sucked for us fans.”

“Wow. That’s sad,” Stephanie commented. She sounded bored for some reason but Fred hasn’t noticed it yet.

“Yeah, but at least I managed to buy this special limited Megazon shirt from an auction.” Fred beamed with pride and pressed a thumb against his faded red t-shirt. “I consider this my lucky shirt, worn by the creator of Megazon himself. Wasabi complains it smells terrible and the creator did died in this shirt… It adds to the value, you know?”

Stephanie did not reply to this. Fred then remembered something.

“So, why did you call me to come here with you?” he inquired. He finally noticed how glum she appeared.

“I just missed spending some time with you,” Stephanie said. “You’ve been ignoring my calls these past week, you said you were busy…”

“W-well, you see…” Fred began to sweat. He couldn’t tell her that he’s moonlighting as a superhero. “… It’s complicated.”

“Complicated?” Stephanie repeated. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m, uh… going through problems in my personal life. I can’t explain.”

“Oh... Alright.” Stephanie sighed and continued to be absorbed in her dessert treat. “I guess I’m just being over-clingy, huh?”

“Hey.”

Stephanie’s head perked up to see Fred making a silly facial expression.

“You are one mega babe,” he told her. Stephanie managed to giggle much to Fred’s relief.

Honey watched the sappy scene from the counter. This is her first time seeing Fred’s girlfriend since he loved talking about her. Even though she wants to be happy for Fred, she’s actually worried for him since he’s not aware of the signs of imminent trouble growing between him and his date.

Awkward silence fell between the two young lovers. Fred tried to think up of a new conversation.

“Um, I’ll go get you another coffee drink,” Fred said, getting up from his seat.

Stephanie tried to stop him, “Oh, no need! I still got plenty in… my cup...” But Fred has already left.

Fred sauntered over to the counter and gave Honey a sly wink. “Nice uniform, by the way!”

“Freddie, please!” Honey cried, blushing a little. “Cappuccino again?”

“Yeah. Is too much trouble to include a heart-shaped latte art on the foam?” Fred then lowered his voice. “What do you think of her, Honey? Is she cool, or is she _cool_?”

“She’s seems alright,” Honey replied as she turned on the espresso machine. “Are you nice of her?”

“Well, duh!” Fred rolled his eyes, grinning like a lovesick buffoon. “I’ve taken her dates to monster movies and we talked about my favorite comic heroes like Megazon and Reptillior…”

“What’s HER favorite heroes?” Honey asked.

Her question took Fred by surprise; he doesn’t know how to answer to that.

From her seat, Stephanie watched Fred talking to the barista—who happens to be much taller, prettier, and smarter than she is—sharing a conversation and she could feel her nostrils flaring with irritation. A few minutes later, Fred came back with a cup of hot cappuccino with a heart design on the foam.

“Okay, Stephie baby, you wanna talk about the latest issue of Fusion Girl…?”

 “I didn’t know you’re friendly with the barista,” Stephanie cuts off Fred.

“That’s Honey Lemon, she’s a great pal of mine! She just started working here,” Fred grinned, returning to his seat.

“And how… did you two meet?”

“I’m mascot at SFIT where she’s a student there. She’s like a mad scientist with her cool chemistry set.”

Stephanie’s face went blank. Fred became confused.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Stephanie buried her face back to the poster in her hand.

“Whatcha looking at?” Fred stated.

“Nothing interesting,” Stephanie shrugged. “Some shady guy in my neighborhood was handing out things like this around. He says Mukuro of Shiragiku is going to hold a rally and anyone who wants to support Shiragiku’s cause must attend.”

Her words took Fred by surprise. Honey, who was closer to them, overhead them and listened closely.

“Shiragiku, the criminal organization?” Fred’s eyes widened. “Wait, why did you have one of their stuff since they’re bad guys?”

“He wasn’t going to leave me alone unless I get something. The poster looks normal, and I saw no information of Shiragiku’s location of the rally anywhere on it. So, I guess the guy who gave it to me was just a fan with a few screws loose.”

“… Can I see it?”

Stephanie hands over the poster. Fred saw a picture of the symbol of Shiragiku, a white chrysanthemum against a red sky looming evilly over a black-and-white image of San Fransokyo. On the bottom of the page are Japanese character texts that translates to _“Special private botfighting after the rally hosted by Mr. Sparkles!”_

Fred doesn’t know who this Mr. Sparkles is but he realized how close Stephanie came near to someone affiliated with Shiragiku and he was relieved that she was not attacked by them. But he then thought of his girlfriend possibly getting hurt—or worse—in the future because of him and his superhero role. It reminded him of those comic stories where love interests of superheroes get killed off because the villains wanted to hurt the heroes. Fred doesn’t want that situation for her; he has not even told her about him being a member of Big Hero 6 and now he doesn’t know if he should tell her that any time soon.

For the first time since he dated her, he feared for her safety.

“… OH NO!!”

The whole café went silent when Stephanie suddenly jumped up from her chair.

“I just remembered something important I had to do!” she panicked. She hastily dropped several crumpled bills on the table. “I’m sorry, Fred, but I need to be somewhere!”

“You want me to take you there?” Fred suggested, trying to be helpful. He doesn’t want to let her out of his sight alone, especially at this hour in the evening.

“No, I’m already late! I’ll see you next time!”

Stephanie plants a quick kiss on Fred’s face and hurried out the café. Fred could feel his face burning, not from the kiss, but from Stephanie’s odd behavior. It came out of nowhere and it’s unlike her. He’s beginning to wonder if he offended her.

Fred doesn’t know if he could bring himself to lose another relationship like his previous ones. He isn’t sure if he could stand the pain again. He sat frozen in his chair, staring lifelessly into the coffee drink below him as the latte heart slowly broke in two. He let out a huge sigh and sipped the cappuccino, deciding not to let it go to waste.

Honey felt sorry for Fred so she left her counter and walked over to his side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Do you want something sweet to eat?” she asked.

“No thanks, I’ll be fine,” Fred answered with a small smile. “This isn’t the first time I got a girl walked out on me.”

“Listen, my shift will end in half an hour,” Honey said. “We can go hang out at your place if you want.” She paused for a moment, thinking of her parents who are probably waiting for her to come home early after work… if they aren’t still fighting and talking about their divorce. “… I don’t have any other plans.”

This made Fred feel a lot better. “Good idea! We can go play video games and watch Let’s Play videos!” he beamed.

Honey glanced down at the Shiragiku poster in Fred’s hand.

“On a second thought,” she said, changing her mind. “We should show this to Hiro.” 

* * *

“What were you three thinking coming to that kind of neighborhood?” Officer June Park, Gogo’s sister, ranted as she drove the cruiser while her little sister, Wasabi, and Hiro sat in the back, all three of them feeling awkward in a tight position. “Didn’t I tell you about the dangers of criminal activities that goes around in that place? You could have been killed!”

“Sorry,” Gogo muttered, resting her hand on her chin. She looked out the window. “I just wanted to have a date there…”

“That’s no excuse!” June snapped which made Wasabi and Hiro jump. “And why did YOU come along, Mr. Hamada?”

“I wanted to check out the arcades at Spider-Lily Avenue and I asked your sister to take me there,” Hiro quickly made up a lie.

June sighed and shook her head. “You three are lucky that you’re all safe. Lately, those jerks who called themselves Shiragiku have been causing a lot of trouble for us. I’m grateful that Big Hero 6 did a good job stopping the ones at the trade fair at SFIT, but we still don’t know where their base is.”

“Why is that?” Wasabi asked.

“Well, the people we interrogated said the organization keep changing the location of their bases and they refused to give out the identities of other members,” June replied, gluing her eyes on the road. “It seems like the whole thing depends on plenty of secrecy that codenames were even used. But don’t worry, Mr. Maki, we’ll catch the perps who blew up your car.”

Wasabi leaned back, sighing sadly. “Thanks.”

“As for you, Sang-hwa… I’m toying with the idea of grounding you and setting up a curfew for you.”

“What?! Why?” Gogo asked incredulously.

“Because you seem to spend more time going out to get in trouble rather than focusing on your studies!”

“You know I’m not some delinquent! And you can’t ground me, I’m practically an adult!”

“We’ll talk more when we get home,” June muttered.

Several minutes later, the cruiser arrived outside the Lucky Cat café. Hiro stepped out and looked over his shoulder to register the faces on his friend’s faces.

“I’ll see you later,” he told them. They’re probably going to stay up tonight and wait to tell him what information they’ve retrieved from the bar.

After the police car drove off, Hiro stepped inside. Even though the café is closed, he saw a small group of people sitting around in a circle while Aunt Cass is standing up, holding up several papers full of poetry verses.

“Hiro, welcome home!” she smiled. “Do you wanna stay and share some poetry with us?”

“Um, no, I’m not really that good,” Hiro apologized. “I’ll just go head straight to my room.”

“There’s some leftover dinner in the fridge if you want some.”

“Yo, Hiro! When are you getting a girlfriend?” A tubby bushy-haired woman, a friend of Cass who lived in the neighborhood, called out. “You’re sixteen, right? I heard your mom was popular with boys when she was your age.”

The entire room burst into giggles. Hiro could feel his face burning and in his embarrassment he didn’t see a table which he bumped into it.

“He’s still fifteen, but he’s going to be sixteen near the end of June this year,” Cass reminded her friend who just talked to Hiro. She was rolling her eyes but there was mischief in them. “Don’t bug him, Candy. He’s probably not telling you his love life because you’re gonna tease him for it.”

Hiro hurried up the stairs behind the café, hoping to escape other awkward questions from his neighbors. He needed to be alone.

He dumped his backpack onto his bed and sat in front of his computer. Without waiting to catch his breath, Hiro opened up a private website for all the botfighting matches that would be taken place tomorrow night. To his dismay, there are no botfights available tomorrow night. In fact, there hasn’t been any botfighting activity in the city for the entire week due to Shiragiku’s presence.

Did those two guys who got their information of a botfight with Yama were wrong? Hiro felt disheartened and he closed the computer screen. He was about to get up and take a cold shower when he heard his cellphone ringing. He turned it on and heard Fred’s voice.

“Hiro! Are you home?” he asked. He sound excited.

“Yeah, I am,” Hiro replied. “Gogo, Wasabi, and I just came back from Spider-Lily Avenue…”

“Whaaaat? You guys had a wild nightlife adventure without us?!” Fred whined, interrupting him. “Did you guys went out for some hard drinking at some shifty bars? Most importantly, are the love hotels there real?”

“Freddie, can I have my phone back?” Hiro then heard Honey’s embarrassed voice from the same end with Fred. “Hiro, we got something we wanted to show you,” she said urgently. “Can you meet us at Fred’s place as soon as possible?”

* * *

Hiro quietly snuck downstairs. His aunt has finished her beat poetry group for the night and she’s now watching a late-evening movie on the TV while all the lights in the living room are off. He could hear the parts from the movie and apparently, Aunt Cass is watching a musical about a human-eating plant. He crept behind her, trying not to make any sound that would attract her attention.

He didn’t see where he’s stepping when his foot accidentally bumped into Mochi, who was sleeping on the floor. The cat yowled and this made Aunt Cass turned her head. She saw no one else in the living room other than Mochi.

“Mochi, are you yelling at nothing again?” she demanded in a light, playful tone. “Come and sit on my lap, you silly old kitty.”

Meanwhile, Hiro had ducked down into the stairs, out from Aunt Cass’ view. He gave a silent breathe in relief before he snuck away. He left the café and hurried to the garage. He isn’t old enough to get a permit yet to ride Tadashi’s scooter, but he knew this is a faster way getting to Fred’s home rather than a bus. He jumped into the scooter and rev the engine on, hoping that Aunt Cass isn’t hearing the noise. Then he zoomed out of the garage and left his neighborhood, unaware that he is being watched and followed by a shadowy figure.

* * *

 

In a few minutes, Hiro was able to arrive at Fred’s estate and he walked up to the front door of the mansion. Heathcliff let him and Hiro went to the secret room and found everyone else, including Gogo and Wasabi (who managed to sneak out again after Officer Park dropped them off), waiting for him. Their new upgraded weapons are seen sitting on a long desk next to the wall behind them.

He grabbed a chair, sitting at the table with the others. “So, what do you want to show me, Honey?” Hiro inquired.

Honey slid the poster towards him. “We got word that Shiragiku is going to hold a rally and someone has been handing this out,” she explained. “We have no clue where this rally will be taking place, unfortunately.”

Hiro read the Japanese text out loud. Mr. Sparkles… wait, I know him!”

“You do?” Gogo asked.

“I do! He’s a children’s tv show host a few years back,” Hiro explained in rapid speed, he could hold back his excitement. “His show is mostly seen in the Japanese channel, but his series _‘Super Sparkle Challenge Hour’_ was really popular when I was a kid, even though they were just reruns! It was both corny and fun since it’s mostly him doing wacky stunts challenged by fans from the show, but the best part of that show is him performing manzai with celebrities who are guest appearances! Manzai is a traditional stand-up comedy and the celebrities often act like the straight men… to his funny man…?”

Hiro slowly stopped his speech when he saw his friends staring at him in amusement. He blushed in embarrassment and looked away.

“A-anyways… His show ended in the twenty years ago after a long ten-year run,” he finished in an awkward tone.

“No wonder his name sounds familiar. Mirin loves to watch his show before,” Wasabi said. “He overplays his cuteness factor to the point it becomes creepy, in my opinion.”

“But this person whose name is on this poster. This can’t be the same Mr. Sparkles,” Hiro said, frowning. “… Wait…”

Suddenly, he remembered the night when he and Baymax went into the warehouse and they were ambushed. He recalled a baby-faced chubby man in color pinstriped clothes destroying Baymax’s data chip. Hiro stared at poster, shaking in outrage.

“The man in the warehouse!” he cried, his voice shaking. “He looked exactly like Mr. Sparkles from the show! He was there on the night he took Baymax! He… He could be related to him like his son!”

“Well, at least we know what he looks like,” Fred chipped in. “But aren’t you guys gonna tell us what you’ve been doing in Spider-Lily Avenue?”

“Wasabi and I went to this bar that happens to be the Yama Gang’s favorite hangout,” Gogo answered. “Unfortunately for us, the bartender said Yama hasn’t visited that place in a long time.”

“It was so scary and smelly there!” Wasabi said. “I was afraid we’d get attacked... But apparently, someone from Shiragiku knows we were in that bar since they blew up my car!”

“Oh no! And that was a new van!” Honey gasped.

“We thought Hiro was in the car when it exploded. I’m so happy he isn’t.” Gogo shuddered. “Speaking of which… where did YOU went off to, Hiro? I thought you wanted to stay and listen on the communicator devices you gave us!”

“I just wandered around,” Hiro replied. “I feel ridiculous just sitting around and doing almost nothing. Good thing I left the car, otherwise I’d be dead.” He paused when he remembered something. “Oh, I met Yasuo in Spider-Lily Avenue.”

“Yasuo? You mean, Dr. Ishioka’s son?” Wasabi turned to him. “What was he doing there?”

“I’m not sure what his exact reasons are for being there…” Hiro isn’t sure he should tell them the part of Yasuo being bullied by his cousin into hacking into ATM machines. “… I think he’s very lonely.”

He saw Fred giving him the same odd look when he teased Hiro for being in love with Tadashi.

“What?”

“Nothing~” Fred snickered.

Hiro groaned. “This is no time for jokes, Fred!” He went back scanning at the poster. “Besides, we got more important things here.”

At that moment, Heathcliff entered the room.

“Master Frederick, you have a visitor,” he announced.

“Heathcliff, tell her to wait for me,” Fred said. “She can’t see our secret base!”

“Actually… She knows you’re all Big Hero 6.”

Everyone stared at each other in shock and confusion. Heathcliff stepped aside and a young woman entered. She is wearing a white jacket and pants, and a gray shirt. Her brown hair is tied back in a short ponytail. Hiro knew she is at first sight.

“Abigail Callaghan!” he said. “How did you know where we are?”

“I saw you left your home,” Abigail replied after Heathcliff left. “I followed you to this estate. But I’ve been meaning to meet you again.”

“You do?” Hiro asked.

“I hear you’ve been having trouble with a criminal organization known as Shiragiku and what happened to Baymax.”

Everybody had they full attention on her now.

“Wait, you know Shiragiku?” Wasabi demanded. “When did you know about them?”

“I’ve been trying to track them down for months, even long before Mukuro announced his return to the public,” Abigail replied as she took a seat. “The organization often changed bases and it’s scattered everywhere, it’s hard to keep track. I wasn’t completely alone in this…” She turned to Fred, her expression passive. “Your father, Stanwick, helped me many times and he was the one who told me about Shiragiku.”

“You know my dad too?!” Fred cried.

“He KNOWS about Shiragiku?” Hiro shouted. “Wait, did you know about this, Fred?”

“No, of course not—this is news to me!” Fred said quickly.

“Miss Callaghan, how did Fred’s father know about Shiragiku?” Honey elaborated.

Abigail became quiet, but she was smiling. “Because he and several other people were the ones who stopped them twenty-eight years ago.”

Everyone’s jaw dropped in stunned silence, they couldn’t believe what they just heard. Hiro could feel his head ready to explode any minute. Fred suddenly whooped and he pointed at Gogo.

“Ha! I told you my dad is a retired superhero!” he said. “In your face, Gogo!”

“No… way,” Hiro finally found his voice. He ran a hand under his bangs. “This is all too much to process…”

“Stay calm, Hiro,” Abigail said gently. “I’ll explain what I can tell you for now... About thirty-three years ago, the government needed a team of state-sanctioned superheroes, so they consulted a top-secret consortium of politicians and business entities, known as the Giri. The Giri was formed to recruit and train potential operatives for a team, which was named Ronin Rangers. These people they recruit are highly skilled in weaponry, different fields of science, or martial arts. Stanwick was appointed as the team's field commander.”

“Ronin Rangers?” Wasabi repeated incredulously.

“I know, it sounds silly,” Abigail chuckled. “Stanwick was the one who picked the name.”

“This is so cool,” Fred squealed to Honey in a low voice. “My dad’s both a superhero and secret operative.”

Abigail continued, “Stanwick, with his teammates and allies, managed to take down Mukuro’s organization but they’ve lost so many lives. Mukuro was powerful and cruel… In the end, Stanwick could only save a handle of his friends. So many people in San Fransokyo died because of their battles, and Ronin Rangers were seen as a disgrace and were immediately forgotten. Even the Giri was dissolved. Stanwick is one of the last two members of the Ronin Rangers who are still alive to this day.”

“Who is the other person?” Hiro asked, leaning forward.

“Dr. Daichi Ishioka.”

Hiro almost fell out of his seat. “Ishioka was a former superhero too?!”

His four friends immediately imagined a mental picture of Dr. Ishioka wearing a tight, colorful suit. Only Fred is the one who seems mildly aroused at this.

“Yeah, the two kept in touch after what’s left of their team was disbanded,” Abigail said. “But we’ve strayed a bit far from my original topic. I’m going to assist you helping stop the new Shiragiku.”

“Abigail, we… I appreciate it, but…” Hiro stammered. “Why?”

“Well, you’re the only superheroes in this state I know who can stop them,” Abigail replied. “And… it’s my way of thanking you for saving me, and my redemption.”

“Redemption?”

“You know what my father did to you and Krei. He ruined the family name and I was seen as suspicious to the public, like it was my fault why a beloved professor turned evil…”

“But, it wasn’t your fault,” Honey protested. “You were trapped inside a portal.”

“Yeah, but people find it easier to make excuses for someone who has done bad things while blaming a victim,” Abigail sighed.

“Where did you go, then?” Hiro asked. “Krei told us that you left San Fransokyo a year ago.”

“I moved to San Diego to live with relatives there,” Abigail answered. “After hearing all your adventures as Big Hero 6 from the news, you could say I feel inspired to become a superhero too.” She blushed and rubbed her arm. “I figured that if I did something good to help people, I would atone for my father’s sins and mistakes.”

“Abigail… about your dad…”

“Yes, Hiro. I know he’s been murdered.” Abigail’s face went heavy with grief. “When I read about his death from the newspapers, I’ve decided to return to San Fransokyo. I wanted to find the person who killed him… and catch him.” She paused to take her breathe. “Even now, after all what he’s done, I couldn’t bring myself to completely hate my father. He was all I had left after my mother died… And now I’ve lost the chance to make things up with him.”

“I’m so sorry,” Hiro muttered.

“Don’t worry, I am not blaming you for putting him in prison. He had to be stopped,” Abigail comforted him. “Anyways, I had Alistair Krei contacted Stanwick for me who then trained me to become stronger and taught me skills that can take down Shiragiku. Stanwick has been keeping tabs on you guys for a long time and he wants me to become a mentor for you … And Fred, your dad says he isn’t sure when he’ll be coming home again but he says he misses you.”

Fred became teary-eyed and his lips formed into a huge, quivering smile.

“And, for some reason, he wants you to wash your underwear often.”

“That’s my old man, alright!” he guffawed.

“So, you’re going to be fighting bad guys with us?” Wasabi asked, hopeful at the thought of more members.

“I’m going to be busy with a mission given to me by Stanwick, so I probably won’t be around to help you in future battles,” Abigail shook her head. “But I will provide you useful information about Shiragiku from clues and research I can find.”

“Question,” Fred spoke up again. “If you’re a superhero like us, what’s your codename?”

“How about Nosy Little Bird?” a voice spoke out of the blue.

Everyone turn their heads to find the source of that voice. They looked around and found someone leaning against a wall in the far corner of the room. Even though half of his body was concealed in the shadows, everyone recognized him.

“Karasu!” Hiro growled. His teammates and Abigail all stood up and went into fighting stance.

“Big Hero 6,” Karasu greeted them.

“H-how did you find us?” Wasabi asked. “How did you even get inside here?!”

“He knows who we are now,” Honey whispered, her face horrified.

“I knew we should have gotten a guard dog!” Fred groaned.

Karasu stepped into the light. Despite lower half of his face is covered in a mask, everyone could hear him speak clearly.

“Now is that any way to speak to an old friend?” he asked in his cold, serious voice.

“Friend? You kicked me down from a catwalk!” Hiro snapped.

Gogo glanced from Karasu to Hiro, her eyes flashed in anger. “He did what?”

“Hey, you survived the fall,” Karasu scoffed, crossing his arms. “I’d feel terrible if you didn’t.”

“What do you want?” Hiro demanded. “Have you come to kill us all?”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, but no, I’ve come with an invitation.” Karasu walked over and flopped into an empty seat at the end of the table. Everyone backed off and continued watching him, waiting him to attack. “I hear you want to find Yama and the rally Shiragiku is going to hold. You’re in luck, Yama will be there. As well as my boss Mukuro.”

Hiro swallowed down his disgust while Karasu casually leaned back on his chair, with his legs crossed like he owned the place.

“I can give you the address of the place. Just my way of apologizing for my behavior at the warehouse,” he said.

“No way, you’re trying to lead us into some sort of trap,” Hiro spat.

“Think what you want, Mukuro is expecting Big Hero 6 to arrive tomorrow night’s rally,” Karasu said, looking away. His eyes narrowed into a dark frown. “He knows you can’t ignore an event like this, because he knows what kind of person you all are. Here’s my suggestion: if you ever want to surprise Mukuro, you don’t show up and surrender quietly to Shiragiku.”

“Big Hero 6 isn’t going to take orders from you!” Abigail yelled.

“Ahhh, Professor Callaghan’s daughter has some fire in her… Just like what happened to her father back in Jigoku Prison.”

Abigail’s eyes widened but she stayed where she is with her hands clutched tight into fists on her sides.

“Don’t bother telling us where the rally is taking place,” Hiro said much to his friend’s surprise. “We’re going to show up there on our own terms. And then we’re going to apprehend you and Mukuro.”

Karasu chuckled sarcastically. “I love your blind enthusiasm. I just knew you wouldn’t resist visiting an illegal botfighting game. You still haven’t changed…”

“Why do you care what I’m liked?!”

“That’s because we’re…” Karasu stopped for a brief moment, realizing what Hiro just said. A look of irritation was then shown on his face. “You actually believed my words when I showed my face to you?”

“I don’t remember that part very well! It was dark,” Hiro grumbled, “and my mind was all messed up that time. But it doesn’t matter anyway!”

“But it does matter to me,” Karasu insisted. He slowly began to pull down his mask. “I guess a second look should remind you…”

Suddenly, a maglev disc is thrown at his direction at such a blinding speed. Karasu leaped out from his seat just in time. The disc, upgraded to become super-sharp, sliced the chair in half. It would have decapitated the ninja-like criminal if he had remained there a second longer.

"Gogo, what the heck are you doing?!" Hiro yelled.

He was taken aback by his friend's ruthless attack; Gogo has always opposed of the idea of killing criminals and would prefer to apprehend them instead. What Gogo had almost done was so unlike her, it's already troubling the young genius.

Karasu landed backwards gracefully, keeping his composure cool. He looked over to Gogo who just reached for her second disc. Wasabi even reached for his plasma-laser gauntlet, Honey with her chem-capsule purse, and Fred just holds up a random chair getting ready to toss it at Karasu.

“I’m impressed, your weapons certainly have improved,” Karasu complimented her and the rest of the team. “But you’re still… so… _slow._ ”

 _“Get out,”_ Gogo threatened him in a low voice.

“Fine, I’ll leave,” Karasu sighed sadly in a mocking way. “I’m not coming back here, but I suggest you put up better security measures for this silly science lab.”

With a click of a device hidden in his clothing, a thick fog began form around him and began to fill the room. Everyone shrank back as the fog obscure their vision. Hiro froze in terror as he feel Karasu’s breath down his neck and his voice in his ear.

“Listen, Hiro,” Karasu whispered to him. His voice seem strangely familiar up close, but Hiro felt his stomach twist into uncomfortable knots. “You will never find our rally, but I wish you plenty of luck… I won’t criticize you if you stay away to keep your friends safe, but a certain robot is waiting for you to rescue him tomorrow night. Isn’t he supposed to be your best friend?”

“B… Baymax,” Hiro said quietly.

Karasu decided to impart a clue for the young robotics prodigy. “If you want to find something, switch the lights off.”

“Wait… what does that mean?” Hiro’s head turn sideways, looking for him. “Karasu, wait!”

But Karasu spoke no more. The fog clears and he is no longer seen anywhere in the room. However, the door was opened and everyone presumed he ran out the door.

“He’s gone!” Fred cried. “We almost had him!”

“Why didn’t you let him give us the address of the rally, Hiro?” Wasabi asked.

“He couldn’t do that,” Gogo protested. “That would give Shiragiku the satisfaction that we’re getting help from them, and that we’re useless heroes.”

“But Mukuro is expecting us to arrive at the rally,” Honey said. “But we still don’t know where that is.”

“Karasu gave me a clue,” Hiro said as he walked up to the huge monitor and turned it on. The video screen showed the map of San Fransokyo and a second, smaller screen showed Baymax’s figure. “He said Baymax would be in that rally. Now this monitor can pick up Baymax’s installed GPS system, if Baymax is activated, we will know his location.”

“Hiro, don’t you think Karasu told you that because he expects you to save Baymax?” Abigail asked, walking up beside him. “For all we know, Baymax would be in a different place somewhere far away from the rally, which would lead you into a trap.”

“And crashing into that rally is walking into a trap too,” Hiro said.

“I have an idea!” Fred spoke up. “We form two teams. One will find Baymax and the other will find the rally. If something suspicious comes up, one team will alert the others.”

“Freddie, that’s brilliant!” Honey exclaimed.

“We still don’t know where the rally will be taken place!” Gogo reminded everyone.

Hiro went back to the table and picked up the poster. “We just need to look for a different angle,” he said.

He stuck his tongue out at the corner of his eye as he holds the map closer to his face, his face scrunched in deep concentration. He then flipped the poster over to reveal its back page, which is completely blank. He remembered Karasu’s last words to him. His friends saw his face light up.

“You don’t suppose…?” he muttered. “Guys, we need to turn off the lights.”

Nearly all the lights in the room were switched off, putting the room in near darkness. Hiro holds the blank back page of the poster under a black light; a faint glowing message, written in invisible printed ink, appears:

**_Shiragiku rally will be held at the abandoned railway station behind the junkyard on May 12 th, at midnight. ‘Curiosity’ is the password._ **

"Whoa, magic ink!" Fred said in awe.

“Finally, we know where it is,” Hiro announced. “Now we just need to think of a way how to infiltrate the rally without letting Mukuro know we arrived.”

“We still kept the kabuki masks we got from those mooks who attacked the trade fair,” Fred suggested. “We can disguise ourselves by wearing them.”

“I wish you kids good luck on this,” Abigail said.

“Wait, aren’t you going to come with us?” Hiro asked.

“I wish I could, but I have to do an important job for Stanwick and only I could do it. After meeting Karasu tonight, there’s something I must check. I can’t explain, but it’s been bothering Stanwick for a couple of years. And now, I must ask you to do me a favor…”

“Sure, Abigail.”

“Can you watch over to Dr. Ishioka?” she asked. “I’m worried that Shiragiku are going to target him since he’s a former member of Stanwick’s team. Not to mention he’s a famous brilliant scientist… I’m not asking you to be his bodyguards twenty-four seven. Just make sure no harm comes to him.”

“That means we’ll have to reveal our secret identities to him,” Hiro said slowly. “But we’ll do it for you.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry to leave at such a bad timing, but I have to hurry if I’m able to catch up to Karasu,” Abigail apologized. Then without another word, she left the room.

Hiro saw his friends looking at him, who all looked uncertain with his decision.

"Hiro, are you sure you're okay letting Dr. Ishioka know we're superheroes?" Wasabi asked anxiously. "There's a limit of how many people know our secret."

“I know that, but you saw how Shiragiku stole his invention,” Hiro sighed. “And Abigail says he might be in danger as well. Besides, he met us and he’s Krei’s business partner. He’ll understand why we’re protecting him.”

“I want to talk about infiltrating the rally,” Gogo said, popping a bubblegum. “I know you might want to be there tomorrow night, but what if something bad happens to you? What if you get caught? Your aunt can’t lose another nephew, Hiro.”

“I know, but—”

“And you’re willing to tell a complete stranger that you’re a secret superhero, but not your family member. Why is that?”

“You ever told your _own_ family about you being a superhero too?” Hiro snapped. “What we’re up against is dangerous and the last thing I want is to make Aunt Cass worry, or worse… she gets hurt because of me.”

“Yeah, he’s right,” Fred mumbled, thinking of Stephanie.

Gogo saw how determined Hiro is and she agreed with him. “Okay, but we’re going to need some extra help with this. We need a fast mode of transportation and we still lack Baymax’s power.”

Hiro has already found a solution. Shiragiku is also holding a botfight and it just so happens that he has a robotic invention that’s ready to be put into the test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Once again, here's a new chapter and Abigail returns! She'll be an ally for Big Hero 6 and you're going to see her in her supersuit and fighting.))


	11. Vs Mr. Sparkles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big Hero 6 infiltrate the rally but they did not expect the surprises waiting for them.

**Chapter 10**

When Karasu returned to Shiragiku’s main base, the entire place is quiet with no members around. Everyone must have went home or retreated to their sleeping quarters. He doesn’t mind the silence, and there’s nobody awake at this hour to harass him with questions about where he went; but as much he wants to lay down on his own bed, he has more work to do.

He could hear his own footsteps stepping on the floor as the thudded sounds vibrate against the walls closed around him as he walked through an empty corridor with only a few lights lit. He briefly glanced at each room to make sure no one else is up before he entered the second elevator at the end of the corridor. However, he failed to see Yama lurking inside one of the rooms which he passed by. Yama carefully watched him, his eyebrows scrunched in dark suspicion, and pulled out his cellphone. He dialed a number and waited someone to pick up his call.

 _“What do you want?”_ a deep, harsh voice demanded through the phone. _“I’m busy here.”_

“Boss, it’s me,” Yama said. “Karasu has just returned to the base.”

 _“How is he?”_ Mukuro asked.

“He looks the same. He came back alone after everyone went to bed. He failed the assignment… he was supposed to bring back Hiro Hamada to our base, wasn’t he?”

 _“That was because I asked him to call off the assignment.”_ Mukuro could hear Yama cursing angrily from his ended. He whispered in a stern tone, _“Will you keep your voice down?”_

“Why the hell would you do that—Hiro Hamada and his team are useless in battle without their robot!” Yama lowered his voice but he was still furious. “We could easily destroy them!”

 _“Listen, Yama,”_ Mukuro said. _“Karasu hurt Hiro Hamada’s pride by taking his robot away when he was helpless, but he didn’t kill him… Despite that, Hiro and his companions still tried to track us down last night at Spider-Lily Avenue. We’re going to hurt Big Hero 6 a lot more when the time comes. However, kidnapping and murdering Tomeo Hamada’s youngest son right now would just cause more trouble for us.”_

Yama muttered something under his breathe but Mukuro just ignored him and continued on.

_“Big Hero 6 may be our enemy, but our biggest threat is Stanwick. He’s grown old but he still got enough tricks in his sleeve and he holds the key to our downfall. We’re going to wait until Stanwick returns to San Fransokyo. And once he’s out of the way, you can do whatever you want to Big Hero 6.”_

“Especially Hiro Hamada?” Yama asked eagerly.

“Unfortunately, I promised Karasu that only he could destroy Hiro,” Mukuro replied.

“Why is that?” Yama grumbled. He really wanted to be the one to tear Hiro apart.

_“Because he personally asked me to let him, and who am I to deny his request? Considering the relationship between those two had in the past… this is more interesting.”_

* * *

The elevator made a “ding” sound as it stopped at the lowest basement, where Karasu used to sleep and train. Karasu could hear electronic whirring inside the first room but he walked past it and went to his bedroom. It was a small room that doesn’t have a lot of personal furniture but it was simple enough to provide necessary needs for Shiragiku’s lieutenant. The walls are full of newspaper clippings of Shiragiku’s criminal attacks. There’s a laptop sitting on top of a desk near his bed, and beside the laptop is an old picture of Big Hero 6 in their civilian attire, smiling in front of a camera. Their faces are all crossed out except for Hiro’s. Long ago, Karasu was able to obtain this picture and it becomes a reminder of his old past which he has thrown away.

After closing the door behind him, Karasu removed his gloves, gauntlets and his jacket, and then tossing them aside on to his bed. He then removed his mask and unzip his bodysuit, until they dropped to the floor. He stretched his arms and inhaled deeply, content with this moment of quiet and peace. Wearing only his pants, boots, and sleeveless shirt, he stumbled into a small bathroom.

Taking a hand towel and dampening it with cold water, he ran it over his face to clean himself. He gently dab the cloth on the scars on his side of the face, sighing as the phantom burning sensation disappeared. These imaginary pains only happens to him a few times a week and he has to make sure they don’t interfere with his duty. Even though the scars stopped hurting him a long time ago, he could still feel them like a fever. It was a terrible feeling and it almost makes him shiver with sickness even though he tries to put on a brave face. Mukuro had told him that these episodes happen due to a traumatic incident, and he’s not far off from the truth…

“The pain is getting worse,” he muttered to himself. He could feel his whole body getting heavy due to stress and fatigue. This isn’t good; a loyal member to Shiragiku must be in top shape. “How long… must I continue feel like burning…?”

His eyes darted up to his reflection in the mirror and saw how wild his pallid face is. He fought back the urge to punch the glass.

“This… This is all his fault I became like this,” he murmured, glaring at his ugly burn scars as his dark eyes burn with resentment.

* * *

Hiro spent most of the night at the secret base at Fred’s mansion building his new microbots and it was after three in the morning when he returned home. He could feel his entire body aching but his mind is still awake and alert. As he lay his body on his comfortable bed, he thought of skipping school tomorrow so he could work more on the suits and weapons. If he missed any quizzes and homework, he can make up for them easily—after all he’s more brilliant than anyone in his team.

Then he remembered the special core microbot he was building in his lab at SFIT, and he realized other microbots won’t work so well without it...

Morning came a few hours later at Wasabi’s apartment. The burly young man knocked on his sister’s bedroom door impatiently.

“Mirin, what’s taking you so long?” he shouted. “You’re going to miss your bus! And you haven’t eaten breakfast yet!”

“I’ll be ready in a minute!” Mirin replied. “Hey, big bro! How come we’re not taking your van today?”

“Um…” Before Wasabi can reply, his cellphone started ringing from the counter of the kitchen. He quickly went over to pick it up.

“Hello?” he said. He heard Hiro’s voice from the other end.

“Hey, Wasabi,” Hiro yawned heavily. “Looks like I won’t be in school today, but I’m going to stop by to pick up stuff from my lab.”

“What kind of stuff?” Wasabi asked.

“On my desk, there’s a single microbot inside a glass case plugged to my computer. I’m going to bring it to me to Fred’s place so I can finish making the microbots we need to catch Mukuro and Karasu tonight.”

“Alright. Just reminding you that I’m working today so I’ll come over tonight right after work… Hang on a sec.”

Wasabi heard a door opening and saw Mirin, in her black and white school uniform, hurrying out from her room while carrying a bulky duffle bag along with her school bag.

“Mirin, that’s my bag. What do you have inside it?” he stopped her from leaving the apartment.

“My archery equipment. I’ll be shooting water balloons at the park after school!” Mirin replied.

“Really?” Wasabi raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “You’re wasting your talents on a silly game like that?”

“What, I’m not allowed to have fun?” Mirin asked.

“Drenching random people with water balloons shot by arrows isn’t my definition of fun.”

“Wow. You’ve become such a big spoilsport… If you spend less time going to your ‘late-evening study groups’ with your pals, you’d lighten up,” Mirin grumbled. “I don’t even believe you and your friends are actually doing homework at all.”

“That’s enough, Mirin,” Wasabi told her in a stern voice. “You are leaving that huge bag right here.”

Mirin groaned but she set her duffle bag down on the floor. Seeing that she doesn’t have enough time to sit down to have a casual breakfast, she grabs a toast from the table and shoves it into her mouth.

Wasabi rolls his eyes at this but he hands her lunch packed inside a paper bag. “At least chew before you swallow, okay?” he sighed.

“Later, gator,” Mirin said with her mouth full and left the apartment.

Wasabi returned to his phone call. “Sorry about that. Minor sibling troubles.”

“That’s okay,” Hiro chuckled. “Tadashi used to get on my case about my questionable hobbies too. Sometimes, I wonder what he would think if he found out me being a part-time superhero…”

Wasabi laughed sheepishly but he fell into uncomfortable silence.

“Wasabi? You alright?” Hiro asked. “You went kinda quiet.”

“It’s nothing, Hiro. Anyways, I have to get ready for school too. I’ll tell the others you won’t be in class today. See you later tonight.”

After hanging up, Wasabi went over to his contact list and found the numbers of his other teammates. A foreboding feeling fell over him, but he knew what it must be done. He inhaled deeply and pressed a call button.

* * *

Instead of staying home and getting his aunt suspicious, Hiro pretended to go to school but he secretly went straight to the garage to make the GPS trackers to locate Baymax. After he was done, he rode to SFIT on Tadashi’s scooter and when he arrived, the campus was empty since everybody is in their classes. Hiro is thrilled that he can sneak into his lab without being caught.

He parked the scooter and entered the robotics building without meeting anyone. As he approached his lab, he saw a silhouette of a person inside through the glass. He burst into the room and found Professor Lebur on his computer desk. The screen was on and Hiro realized his teacher was trying to log onto it.

“What the hell are you doing?” Hiro demanded, his temper rising.

“Language, Mr. Hamada,” Lebur snapped as he stood up. “You saw nothing.”

“You were trying to get onto my computer!”

“I’m just making sure you aren’t hiding any inappropriate material in your school computer,” Lebur denied.

Hiro glanced to at his desk again and noticed something is missing. “Where’s my core microbot? The one inside the glass!”

Lebur pretended to look inside. “Maybe you misplaced it? After all, you’re kind of sloppy—HEY!!”

Hiro suddenly went up to his teacher and grabbed the front of Lebur’s shirt.

“You removed it! You wanted my microbots!” he yelled. “Give it back to me, it’s mine!”

Lebur angrily shoved Hiro away from him. Hiro stumbled backwards and hit his work station, the tools on top of the table scattered and fell to the floor.

“Eager to attack a teacher, huh? I’ll teach you manners,” Lebur snarled, approaching Hiro. He raised his hand to slap Hiro when somebody behind him reached out and grabbed that hand.

“I believe attacking a defenseless student is low and maybe it is YOU should be taught manners,” a familiar, deep voice said. Hiro looked up to see Dr. Ishioka holding back Lebur.

“Dr. Ishioka!” Lebur gasped and tried to act cordial, but he was sweating. “I d-didn’t realize you’re coming to this school…”

“I recalled that you personally invited me,” Ishioka reminded him. His expression was stony-faced and stern. “It’s a good thing I came here today, otherwise I wouldn’t want to see my grandfather’s name for this building being tarnished when a teacher decides to strike one of his students.”

“B-but… I was… Hamada tried to…” Lebur stammered. He was trying to come up with an excuse to weasel out of this situation but it was useless.

“Return Hiro’s invention and don’t ever come near him again,” Ishioka ordered. “I’ll be reporting this to the school board.”

Lebur’s face paled. He reached into his huge coat and pulled out the glass jar containing the silver microbot. He reluctantly handed the invention over to a speechless Hiro, and he sulked out from the room.

“Whoa, you looked like you were ready to murder him,” Hiro finally found his words.

“I never liked him when I met him at the trade fair,” Ishioka’s remained narrowed, still glaring at the door where Lebur walked out. He returned his attention to Hiro and his expression softened, placing a gentle hand on Hiro’s thin shoulder. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

“No, but thanks for saving my hide there,” Hiro smiled gratefully. He went to his computer and hurriedly plugged his microbot to the connection. “Let me check to see if this is still functional. I can’t believe he tried to steal my microbot. Just like what Professor Callaghan did…”

Ishioka watched over Hiro’s shoulder as the young teenager switched his computer and checked the data.

“Portable and collapsible microbots?” Ishioka asked, skimming at some files flashed on the screen.

“Uh, yeah,” Hiro nodded. “That way, the microbots can expand to carry more weight. And when they’re smaller, they’d be easier to carry around.”

“It appears you’ve made the silver microbot linked to a separate neurotransmitter so you can control it separately from the others.”

“Uh-huh.” Hiro then unplugged his core microbot after finding no problems and turned off his computer.

“You might need a bluetooth protocol on your robots for security, in case they won’t be overridden by another neurotransmitter.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.”

“This whole piece of technology is incredible, Hiro,” Ishioka said. “When Tadashi told me you have a gift, I didn’t know what he meant by that until I met you at my show.”

“Well… Tadashi’s smarter than me since he puts in more time with his work,” Hiro said shyly, glancing away.

“Hard work is indeed very important, but you have something that he doesn’t,” Ishioka told him. “Did I ever tell you that I also knew your father?”

Hiro turned his head. He remembered the old photograph he found at the abandoned warehouse, and it had his father with Ishioka and Callaghan in it. He had not told his friends about the photo yet since Baymax’s kidnapping had made him forgot about it.

“You do?” Hiro asked, trying to sound curious.

Ishioka wandered across the lab room, hands behind his back, and stared out through the window.

“When you’re a young child genius, people have high expectations for you and you can’t relate to others whose intelligence are average. Loneliness comes natural to you, so I prefer the company of machines,” he sighed. “Your father, Tomeo, was different… He was my equal, and my best friend. We were on different paths of science, but we stayed close for many years until we lost contact with each other. I never knew he married and had children until I met his oldest son Tadashi.”

Hiro thought of Abigail saying that Ishioka used to be on a superhero team with Fred’s father, and he wondered if Abigail has contacted Ishioka yet. He did promised her that Big Hero 6 will protect him from Shiragiku.

“Dr. Ishioka,” Hiro began.

“Yes, Hiro?” The scientist asking, turning around.

Hiro opened his mouth but he stopped himself; he can’t risk his superhero identity yet until he talked about it with Abigail first. He changed the subject instead.

“Is it alright if I leave?”

“Are you heading back to class?” Ishioka asked.

“Um, no… not really,” Hiro replied. However, he was surprised by Ishioka’s warm smile.

“You’re skipping class? It’s okay,” he said. “It’s nice to take a break to recharge your mental health.”

“Y-yeah, exactly!” Hiro nodded. With the glass jar holding the silver microbot core in his head, he was about to head out until Ishioka stopped him.

“I’m still inviting you to my lab, Hiro,” Ishioka said. “And for some reason, my son wanted to meet you again. I think you’ve made… quite an impression on him.”

Hiro doesn’t know why he felt excited about it and why his stomach is twisting in knots. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t eaten yet and he should get some food soon.

* * *

The rest of the day passed and night once again come to San Fransokyo. Hiro’s microbots were finished and when everyone else arrived to don their upgraded suits, Big   Hero 6 made their way to their destination.

“This is so weird,” Wasabi commented as he ran alongside with the others. Hiro was in the lead, riding on a wave of microbots. They weren’t as plentiful like the ones Callaghan made, but it allowed Hiro to carry his friends from one building to another.

“Relax, these bots won’t be attacking you this time,” Hiro chuckled.

The neighborhood near the junkyard was quiet and empty; Hiro remembered long ago how he and Tadashi would come to the neighborhood to look for useful scrapped parts to make their inventions. It felt oddly nostalgic to come here.

Further away from the junkyard is the old railway station barely visible in the nightly fog that hangs over it. A group of people walk toward the building as Big Hero 6 stay into the shadow of the junk pile, eyeing them.

“This is the place,” Hiro stated.

The building itself was huge and isolated from the busier neighborhoods and streets, which is perfect to hold a secret meeting. The superhero team saw a scary-looking doorman guarding the entrance, checking the invitation of a citizen, who is holding up the leaflet. Approving it, he move aside to let the citizen in, and immediately turn his attention to the next one that was waiting, who takes out their own leaflet and shows it.

“I hope this works, Hiro,” Honey said, worry in her tone.

“If it doesn’t, we’ll just kick everyone’s butts, find Baymax, and get out alive,” Gogo said.

At that moment, their trackers began blinking which made everyone jump. Hiro quickly checked his electronic map under his gauntlet.

“Baymax is located near the bay about five miles south from this place!” Hiro said.

“So, he isn’t here then,” Fred said. “Shiragiku must have wanted us to divert our attention and go after him instead.”

“But what if it’s a trap?” Honey asked. “And this our only chance to catch Mukuro.”

“But this is our only chance to rescue Baymax!” Hiro cried.

Gogo stepped forward. “I have a suggestion. The two of us will infiltrate the meeting, and the other three will go to where Baymax is. If there’s trouble, we’ll alert the other half.”

“I don’t like us splitting up, but we’ll do it,” Wasabi nodded.

“Honey, Fred, you two go with Wasabi,” Hiro ordered. “Gogo and I will be at the rally. Take care.”

“Good luck, guys,” Honey said.

After their three teammates left, Hiro and Gogo began to cover their suits with concealing dark, clothes that seemed too big for them. Then they removed their helmets and put on the Kabuki masks

“Hey, Gogo, I want to ask you something,” Hiro said, his voice muffled through his mask. “I saw what you tried to do to Karasu last night…”

Gogo stared at him, though Hiro couldn’t tell what her expression is due to the mask covering her face.

“It’s wrong,” Hiro told her. “We’re supposed to catch bad guys, not kill them. I don’t want you doing that again, no matter how vile they are.”

Gogo nodded after a reluctant pause. “Alright, genius,” she sighed.

The two slowly approached the station, trying not to appear nervous or suspicious. The doorman stopped them. Hiro recognized him as one of Yama’s own men.

“Yo! This is a private event,” the doorman said, crossing his arms. “No one gets in without an invitation.”

“We’re here for the rally,” Gogo replied, holding up the Shiragiku flier. “I hope we’re not too late.”

“It’s about to start soon, but you’re not going in without a password,” he said.

“The password is curiosity,” Gogo said without missing a beat.

“Not so fast, you still need one more proof that you’re a Shiragiku,” he demanded, grinning nastily. “I bet you don’t even know what it is.”

Gogo did not expect that they were to bring something else, but Hiro instantly knew what it is. He pulled out the brass coin with the Shiragiku symbol on it.

“Are you saying?” Hiro asked, in a cool smug voice.

The doorman was surprised.

“Huh, guess you’re not undercover cops after all,” he said in a disappointed tone. He shifted to an apologetic smile. “Alright, you can enter. Sorry for holding you guys up.”

Hiro and Gogo quickly hurried inside and walked through a dimly light room full of machinery and gas pumps. They saw a light up ahead and they soon came to a huge room with a vast crowd standing and waiting before an empty, but lit podium at the other side of the room.

“Whoa, I didn’t know there is a lot of Shiragiku members and supporters,” Gogo said.

“Keep an eye out for Karasu,” Hiro said.

The two Big Hero 6 members quietly made their way so they can get closer to the podium with a poster of the Shiragiku’s symbol hanging on the wall.

Karasu’s voice boomed in the room, “Good evening. Please welcome your leader… Mukuro.”

The crowd cheered as fog filled the stage and the lights focused on mysterious figure appearing. The fog disappears, and Mukuro stood before his followers. He looks more terrifiying in appearance, especially in dark samurai-like attire and demon mask. Behind him are his top officers consisting of Yama, The Fujitas, and the Banzai Brothers. For some reason, Karasu isn’t with them.

The cheering fell silent when Mukuro holds up the microphone.

“Welcome, Shiragiku, old and new,” he spoke. “How long has it been since we last met? More than twenty-eight years ago, San Fransokyo was at its early golden beginnings of becoming the most advanced city of the country. However, technology was exploited and slowed down by the shallow-minded and corrupt, and the vision of a modern future has become a disappointment for those who wanted a better life. I started Shiragiku to change all that.”

“Jeez, that a load of garbage coming from him,” Gogo whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile, about five miles away from the rally… Wasabi, Honey, and Fred followed the blinking tracker, signaling that Baymax is close by. They were searching the port area at the bay, which is empty with fog all around them.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Wasabi whimpered.

“Baymax, are you out here?!” Fred called out.

“Fred, shut up!” Wasabi hissed angrily. “Do you want whatever’s out there to find us?!”          

Honey’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Guys, did you hear that…?”

Suddenly, a giant rumble was heard and something heavy and metallic step onto the floor. The three friends move together, getting to attack, as the giant, black-armored figure stepped out from the fog… looming ominously over them.

The trio’s faces are filled with horror and shock.       

* * *

Back at the rally, Mukuro continued his speech while everyone listened to him.

“Despite the fall of the first organization, I slowly rebuilt a new one while I went into hiding,” he said. “And with the help of my top officers, we were able to free our old brothers from Jigoku Prison, and recruit new members into our family. I’ve plotted better plans and advanced technology to help us take over San Fransokyo and destroy it. And from its ashes, I will create a new era where progress of science and technology will not be hindered by human flaws. And you all will be made into superhumans with the best weapons on your side. … But there is only one thing that stands in our way: Big Hero 6.”

The crowd booed at the mention of the name. Hiro could feel Gogo moving closer to him, protecting him.

“Yes, a group of teenagers who pretend to dress in colorful clothes and protect the city,” Mukuro sneered. “But all they’ve done is cause more trouble and nuisance for us. We have no need for them and they shall be eliminated permanently.”

Mukuro went quiet and placed a hand on the side of his mask, as though he was listening to a communicator.

“Speak of the meddling devils, one of my officers just informed me that three of them has fallen into our trap,” he said.

Hiro and Gogo’s hearts stopped when a screen came up on the stage and it showed a flickering video of Wasabi, Honey, and Fred fighting a giant robot operated by Mr. Sparkles. The robot resembled a spider, with a single huge orb for its body and long, spindly legs to give advantage in speed and fast attack.

“Let’s see how long they last.”

“No!” Hiro whispered. He tried to move forward, but Gogo held him back.

“Stick to the plan, Hiro…”

* * *

“Wee-heeheehee! You actually believe you would find your comrade here?” Mr. Sparkles cackled as he pilot his spider-robot. “You’re bigger idiots than I thought!”

Wasabi, Honey, and Fred tried to come near to attack, but the robot would either skitter madly around, avoiding their weapons. A small trumpet appeared in front of the body and began to blow out… bubbles?

“What the…?” Wasabi stared in disbelief.

“Oh, he’s just messing with us!” Fred blew a blast of fire at the bubbles near him.

Honey tried to stop him, “Freddie, wait--!”

But it was too late. The bubbles suddenly exploded right at Fred’s face and he was knocked back.

“I think those are hydrogen bubbles!” Honey shouted.

“That’s right!” Mr. Sparkles said. “And there’s no way you’re gonna burst MY bubble.”

At that moment, twin antennas grew from the top of the spider-robot’s body and began to emit firecracker sparks while his trumpet continued spewing more bubbles. The superhero team quickly backed away and run to a safer ground to avoid the tiny explosions, as Mr. Sparkles remain safe inside his robot.

“We need to take out those bubbles!” Honey said. “We need to douse them in water.”

“How about we push the robot into the bay?” Fred suggested.

“We can’t get near it!”

Soon, the trio came to a dead end with nowhere else to run. The watch in terror as the spider-robot came closer to them. Wasabi stared at the bubbles exploding around the robot, analyzing the time they were released and exploded. After a brief thought, he rushed forward as Honey and Fred screamed after him.

He ducked under the fires and bubbles, with a swing of his plasma blade, he knocked out the gun and antennas.

“He’s defenseless now, get him!” he shouted.

He, Honey and Fred started to attack. The robot suddenly leapt into the air before crashing down and sending electrical waves which knock the young superheroes back, shocking them in the process.

“You IDIOTS,” Mr. Sparkles grinned. “I have other tricks up my sleeves, you know. Otherwise, we can’t end our show without a shocking finale.”

“Shocking… that was horrible in taste,” Wasabi groaned, from both the pain.

Fred was lucky that his carbon fiber and rubber suit gave him immunity to the electrical attacks, and he tried to think of a way to distract Mr. Sparkles.

“Once I killed you three, maybe the rest of my Shiragiku co-workers will finally treat me seriously,” Mr. Sparkles said.

While the colorful midget villain is busy taunting the heroes, Fred crept around and leaped on top of the robot’s back.

“Gotcha!” Fred yelled.

Mr. Sparkles screeched, “Get off me, you freak of nature!”

The spider-robot began to release a huge amount of electrical discharges, but it did nothing to Fred. Fred began to use his claws to pry open the pilot’s glass window.

Mr. Sparkles grew more enraged and began to panic. He quickly controlled the legs of his robot in an attempt stab Fred instead. One of them managed to stab through Fred’s suit and grazed his shoulder. He winced but he kept holding on, ignoring the blood flowing under his shirt.

Mr. Sparkles was about to stab him again, when Honey threw several sticky chem-balls at his window. With his vision obscured, the villain scream in fury and waved began rampaging and attacking. Wasabi gracefully sliced off the robotic legs and retrieved Fred.

The spider-robot, with its orb body left, fell clumsily on the ground and began rolling around. Mr. Sparkles wailed, he was getting dizzier by the second.

Soon, the bot came to a stop and the three superheroes cautiously approached the defeated man.

“It’s over! Now tell us where you kept our friend?” Fred demanded.

“No… Nooo!” Mr. Sparkles growled, feeling humiliated at his defeated. He pressed several buttons. Suddenly, small toy bombs popped out of nowhere around the area where the heroes are. “I’d rather die!”

The bombs began to vibrate and blink rapidly, they were going to explode any second. Without wasting a moment, Fred wrapped his arms around Honey and Wasabi’s wastes and jumped away. Around the same time, Mr. Sparkles decided to wait in the safety of his robot for his Sparkle Bombs to explode.

His beady eyes landed on a screen that was oddly blinking a countdown. When did a self-destruct program was installed…? Mukuro never said anything about when he invented the robot for him.

A horrible thought hit him.

 **“MUKURO, WAIT--!!”** Mr. Sparkles begged.

But the toy bombs exploded, along with the spider robot with him still inside.

* * *

_"Akito Wakahisa, but you were known better as Mr. Sparkles," Mukuro said, after announcing his presence._

_A tiny, wrinkly old man is sitting at a table, surrounded by mountains of fan letters and boxes of candy he required over the years. He grumpily snorted, eyeing the man hiding in the shadows. He chug down a bottle of medicine._

_"I don't go by that name anymore," Mr. Sparkles wheezed. "My show ended years ago, nobody remembers who I used to be nowadays. I just want to be left alone in my miserable retirement..."_

_"Wouldn't you like to come back out and remind people how important you used to be?" Mukuro asked._

_Mr. Sparkles cackled, clapping his hands. "I'm not as young and spry as I used to be."_

_"True. But what I told that I'm familiar with the black market and able to get my hands on that illegal anti-aging drug Fenixamin? Would you consider...?"_

_The old man's eyes shown with greed. For many years he has heard of this drug and this is a great opportunity to be popular again._

_"If it would help get back on those damn ungrateful kids, sure!"_

* * *

 Clouds of smoke and glitter filled the bay area, as Wasabi, Honey and Fred watch from the top of a building. They didn’t know what to say but stare at each other in silence.

They sensed someone behind them and turned around to see Karasu, who appears to be hidden spectator and was recording the battle the entire time.

“Hey! You…!” Wasabi spoke up but he was interrupted.

Fred shot a giant burst at fire at Karasu, but the latter disappear into his artificial fog. He tried to follow Karasu, but the wound on his shoulder made him hunch over in pain.

Honey and Wasabi hurried to his side and removed his mask. They were taken aback at the angry tears in his eyes.

“He just… stood by and watched us…” he quivered.

“Freddie.” Honey wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. “It’s alright. We didn’t find Baymax, but we survived…”

Fred shrugged it off and glared at the direction where Karasu disappeared. “We gotta go after him.”

* * *

Back at the rally, every Shiragiku member and supporter watched Mr. Sparkles defeat and death on live video. Mukuro remained cold and calm.

“This is what happens when you failed your duty and me,” he said, expressing no remorse for his fallen colleague. “Weakness and failure isn’t tolerated in this organization. Isn’t that right… Big Hero 6?”

The crowd murmured in confusion.

“I know you’re here, watching and listening this,” he said. “And I know exactly where you are. Your mediocre disguises don’t fool me. Your friends didn’t came close to dying tonight, but there will be a next time.”

“No… There won’t!” Hiro snarled.

Gogo tried to hold him back, but Hiro removed his disguise, and summoned the microbots from a box-like container strapped to his back. The crowd made a break for it as Hiro began to dash towards Mukuro on the stage.

Yama, The Fujitas, and the Banzai Brothers prepared for a counterattack to protect their leader. Mukuro did nothing, but acted as though he was waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, a beam of powerful energy came blasting out of nowhere and punched through the pillar of microbots Hiro was riding on. Hiro landed forward; he looked up to see a giant robot landed in front of him.

It was Baymax.

But his friend is wearing black armor spiky shoulder pads and powerful gloves which gave him an intimidating appearance. His eyes glowed red and they don’t seem to recognize Hiro.

“B-Baymax…?” Hiro gasped, sitting up. “What have they done to you?”

Baymax said nothing. His right hand formed into a cannon and he raised it towards Hiro, charging it. Hiro just sat there in utter shock.

Gogo’s disc came flying and it knocked the cannon away, Baymax misfiring it. The beam hit the wall and it exploded. Gogo grabbed Hiro while Baymax prepares to charge again.

“Hiro, get up!” she shouted.

Mukuro, satisfied at this scene, turn around and disappeared into the darkness. His officers followed him.

Hiro finally came to his senses and summoned his microbots to carry him and Gogo out from the station. They missed another energy beam that shot above their heads. They soon made it out but they kept on running.

They heard a loud crash and they looked back to see Baymax flying after breaking out through the roof the building. Soon, Baymax chased after them, firing blast after blast. Gogo and Hiro maneuvered and dodged, making sure to divert the attacks away from innocent civilians and crowded areas.

“Hiro, we gotta do something, or he’ll kill us!” Gogo shouted.

“Alright, here’s what I got…” Hiro began.

After a brief exchange of words, he and Gogo ran into an abandoned alley. Baymax followed them. It was dark and cramped inside, and the robot used his optics to scan for the two superheroes. Above him, Hiro and Gogo were hiding while held up in mid-air by the microbots.

“Now!”

Hiro and Gogo jumped down. Hiro activated his silver core microbot. The microbots began to move on their own and they formed into a giant octopus and hold down Baymax and prevent him from attacking. Hiro and Gogo then began attacking everything they got, discs flying and electro gloves hitting at every possible weak joints to remove the tough armor.

Baymax struggled and finally broke free from the microbots’ grip. He grabbed both Hiro and Gogo and flew upwards until he was out of the alley.

He stayed floating in the air while he clenched their throats tight. The two tried to struggled helplessly; Hiro could see his vision blurring with Baymax’s face in front of him.

“Baymax! This isn’t you!” he choked out. “Stop this!”

Baymax’s red eyes suddenly flickered for some reason and the robot released the two superheroes. Hiro and Gogo fell, but the microbots appeared and caught them, carrying them safely on the roof of a building. Hiro saw the robot suddenly flew off, deciding not to attack them again.

“Gogo, are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she gasped, shakily getting up.

“He tried to kill us, but he stopped,” Hiro panted and landed on his butt. “They haven’t completely erased his programming.”

The two heard a static coming from their communicators.

“Guys, are you there?” Honey called out. “We’ve just been ambushed.”

“Same here,” Gogo replied. “And we weren’t able catch Mukuro. But we know what Shiragiku did to Baymax.”

“We’re hot on Karasu’s trail. We need to regroup immediately.”

At the mention of Karasu’s name, Hiro stood up. His face full of fierce determination. However, Gogo has other plans for him.

“Hiro, you need to go straight home,” she told him.

“What, why?!” he demanded.

“You nearly died tonight, and I don’t want your aunt to lose another nephew.”

“But I want to catch Karasu too, I’m the leader!”

“And I’m your friend!” Gogo snapped. She regained her composure and gave him a regretful look. “Please… we’ll take care of this. Trust us…”

Hiro watched his friend zoom off without another word. Something is up with her, and it’s bugging him. Despite her better judgment, he followed her.

* * *

Karasu silently travelled over the rooftops of the buildings downtown. He wanted to get to his next job as soon as possible. He came to a huge open area to take a quick break to catch his breath.

“Tadashi!”

A voice and that name brought chills down his spine, but it was replaced with dark resentment. He spun around to see Big Hero 6, minus their youngest leader, coming up close behind.

“That was… the name of a foolish boy who died,” Mukuro’s masked lieutenant said quietly.

“Tadashi, you know who we are,” Gogo said, glaring at him. Her chest is heaving. “We attend the same college together. You were our best friend.”

Beside her are Wasabi, Honey, and Fred were staring at him, their faces full of uneasiness and sorrow through their visors. The criminal slowly unzipped his half mask to completely reveal his face.

Tadashi inhaled deeply, his eyes glancing away. “How long… have you guys known it was me?”

“About a year ago,” Fred explained, stepping forward. “Long before Shiragiku made their public appearance… I was the first to know about them and you…”

* * *

_“We have a lot to talk about,” Stanwick told his son as they hugged. He broke it off and Fred saw how serious his dad’s expression is._

_Stanwick sat down and told Fred of the existence of a criminal organization Shiragiku, but not the full details. Fred’s body trembled when his father told him that his friend Tadashi Hamada had joined the organization._

_“Dad… that’s impossible,” Fred said in a half-smile. Beads of sweat pour down from his face. “Tadashi died months ago. I attended his funeral.”_

_“I’m sorry that you had to hear this, but you have to listen to me.” Stanwick pulled out a couple of photographs of Tadashi, half his face burnt off, hiding in a crowd in some location far away from San Fransokyo. He placed them on the table and push them towards Fred. “These were taken at city at Japan while I was searching for Mukuro. According to my undercover agent, Tadashi started training under Mukuro to become his lieutenant and assassin…”_

_“Stop it, Dad!” Fred cried, his fists banged the table. “I know Tadashi! I know his quirks, his hobbies, and I know what toothpaste he uses before he goes to bed!”_

_“Frederick, look at the photos!”_

_Fred became quiet and look down at the photographs. He instantly recognized his lost best friend, right down to the details of the shape of his eyes and nose._

_After a few minutes of silence, he found his voice. “Should I tell Hiro about this…?” he asked._

_“I believe the younger Hamada should be kept in the dark for now,” Stanwick said in a heavy tone. “But you are free to tell your other friends about it, they have the right to know. The reason I’m telling you this is because when Tadashi Hamada returns to San Fransokyo, he will have a different name… And by then, he would be a coldblooded killer. And you must make an ultimate sacrifice to protect the city.”_

_“But… I don’t know if I could…” Fred slumped forward, his shoulders trembling._

* * *

“So, you guys knew I was alive for a long time,” Tadashi said coldly, his eyes flaring. “And you four didn’t do anything to find me.”

“We didn’t believe Freddie at first,” Honey protested. “Until that attack on the Dr. Ishioka’s trade fair...”

“Tadashi, what the hell is wrong with you?!” Wasabi yelled. “You’re Hiro’s big brother! You didn’t have to hurt him!”

“At least I’m better than you guys keeping my true identity a secret from him,” he snapped.

He spotted something behind the group. Everyone turned around and their blood turned to ice; Hiro was standing alone, his face pale and eyes wide. He kept staring straight at his brother, who is actually alive and not an illusion. He couldn’t decide whether to cry or run to him.

Tadashi frowned and activated his fog again. “I don’t have time for this nonsense,” he muttered.

“You’re not running away from us again!” Gogo screamed.

She skated forward at high speed. Tadashi quickly turned invisible to catch her off guard, and then covered the area in thick fog. The team, excluding Hiro, tried to find him.

Tadashi appeared behind Fred and kicked him to the ground with mercy. However, Fred jumped back up and retaliated. Gogo, Honey and Wasabi teamed up with him; however, even though they outnumbered Tadashi, they were no match for his pragmatic technology and fighting skills. All four were soon defeated, with Gogo the last to go down. She put up a better fight, using her maglev wheels to zoom and twist her body around to counter his attacks. Tadashi switched from defensive stance to aggressive and knocked the breath out of her.

Hiro watched his friends crumpled to the ground; he should do something but he remained frozen in his spot.

Gogo lay on her back, her hand clutching her chest. She was coughing up blood and her visor is shattered. She saw Tadashi knelt next to her and removed her helmet to get a closer look at her.

“Traitor,” she coughed. “How dare you look at me with those eyes…”

Tadashi’s expression was unreadable, but there a hint of warmth in them. “I’m only sparing you because Mukuro didn’t give me the order to,” he said softly.

He stood up again as the fog dissipated and his eyes turned to Hiro.

“I didn’t notice it at first, but you’ve grown, Hiro,” Tadashi said. “But you still remained the same reckless boy.”

“Tadashi…” Hiro whimpered, inching closer. He came close to crying. “You can’t be my Tadashi!”

“Are you still denying what you just saw?” Tadashi asked.

“Shut up!” Hiro shouted. “The brother I knew would never do this! He would never take Baymax! The brother I knew…”

Tadashi advanced towards him. Either he grew taller or Hiro shrank under him. Tadashi then grabbed Hiro’s hand and formed it into a fist. Tadashi then formed his own hand into a fist, and bumped it against Hiro’s.

 _It’s our signature fistbump,_ Hiro thought. _Then he really is my…_

“The brother you knew died that night. He doesn’t exist anymore,” Tadashi began. “I used to care about people, and look where it got me.” His hand reached up and touched the burnt scars on his face. “I owe Mukuro a debt, and it was his guidance that brought me on the right path. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“Mukuro is a mad man, Tadashi,” Hiro said firmly, standing his ground. “Why... Why are you doing this?”

Tadashi narrowed his eyes and turned away from his little brother.

“Forget about saving me,” he said, avoiding Hiro’s eyes. There was no love in his voice. “Without Baymax, you can’t stop Shiragiku.”

Before Hiro could stop him, Tadashi ran off and disappeared into the night. For the first time since he started Big Hero 6, Hiro is beginning to have doubts of his promise to his brother and the future of their superhero team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Wow, it's been almost three months since I last updated. A lot of things happened, mainly my health, my job, personal family life, Undertale, etc.... I apologize for that! I hope this new chapter will get me back working more on this fic.))


	12. Sweet and Sour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro made a decision that has affected the team immensely, which then prompted him to seek help. Meanwhile, Abigail visits an old friend.

**Chapter 11**

The following morning is Friday; most students at SFIT would be happy for the upcoming weekend. The same thing cannot be said for Big Hero 6.

Hiro’s friends have been worried for the brilliant teen ever since he found out his older brother is alive and working for a criminal organization. Hiro has been in a daze state in most of his classes, moping and ignoring everything around him. When noon came, he finally packed up his books. This doesn’t went unnoticed by his friends.

“Hiro, where are you going?” Gogo asked him.

“None of your business,” Hiro snapped at her.

Wasabi went up to him, blocking his path, but Hiro quickly went around him. Gogo and Wasabi hurriedly followed him outside the campus as other students awkwardly stare.

“Hiro, can’t we just talk?” Gogo asked, reaching for his shoulder.

“Just leave me alone!” Hiro cried, his voice full of anger.

Gogo and Wasabi finally stop and they watch their friend marched away without looking back. The two later inform Honey and Fred about the what happened, and the four decided to stop by Hiro’s home

They waited for the rest of the classes to end before arriving at the Hamada residence. There in the garage, they found Hiro sitting alone on the red couch, holding a framed picture in his hands in utter silence.

“Hiro? Are you angry at us?” Honey asked, worried that Hiro is furious at them for hiding the truth from him.

“I’m sorry for not telling you about Tadashi earlier,” Fred apologized. “I would have, but my Dad said I could not… And…”

“So, it’s better you four to hide the truth from me and pretend everything’s all good?” Hiro demanded angrily, glaring at them.

“We just wanted to protect you!” Wasabi protested.

“Protect me?” Hiro rose up from his seat. He was close to crying while his entire body tremble in fury. “For a long time, I thought my brother was dead! If I had known he was alive, I would have looked for him… You—None of you realized how much I missed him!”

Hiro thought of Tadashi’s grave in the cemetary, he thought of Tadashi’s shrine upstairs in his bedroom… And then Tadashi’s cruel, empty look last night.

He understood why his friends did what they had to do, but his rage is overriding his common sense. He wanted his friends to say something to defend themselves, but they all stood there ashamed of themselves. Gogo finally spoke up, in a firm tone.

“Hiro,” she says, “Tadashi… isn’t your brother anymore. He took Baymax, right? Whatever happened to him when he survived, he’s no longer the same person.”

Hiro looked away from her and stared at the picture in his hands.

“I am disbanding Big Hero 6,” he announced.

“What?!” Fred gasped. “But, Hiro…! We’re a team!”

“We are NOT a team!” Hiro shouted. “You’re all busy with your own lives so much, you put them over your duty to help San Fransokyo! And I refuse to work with people who lied and hide secrets from me! The only member I trusted is gone!”

“Hiro, calm down,” Honey begged. “Let’s sit down and talk about this…”

“Didn’t you hear me? I’m through with you idiots! If you can’t put more effort being a superhero, then I will do it myself! I will find Baymax and stop Shiragiku myself!”

He threw the picture at their direction and it crashed to floor, glass shattering to bits. Everyone saw it was the photograph Honey took at the SFIT showcase with everyone and Tadashi before the fire.

“Don’t do this, Hiro…” Gogo tried to say something more but Hiro cut her off.

“Get out! I don’t you want coming back here again!”

Gogo wordlessly got the others to leave with her. Hiro’s chest heave and his head is still boiling with rage, but he never felt better. For the first time, he’s free to do whatever he wants without being dragged down by useless companions.

The four friends left street and walked away in grim silence. Suddenly, Wasabi’s cellphone rang at the wrong moment. Wasabi hurriedly picked it up to answer.

“Hello, Mr. Yutani!” Wasabi awkwardly greeted his boss from work. “I was about to get ready for work later today… What?” He stopped to listen to his boss talking. “But, why…? … But I didn’t do—Oh… Alright, it was nice working with you. … Bye, Mr. Yutani.”

Wasabi sadly hung up and he sighed.

“Someone told my boss that they saw me at Spider-Lily Avenue where I got my car destroyed,” he explained to the others. “Mr. Yutani thinks the Shiragiku were after me and assumes I will bring danger to his diner if I continue working there…”

“That’s stupid!” Gogo said in outrage. “You didn’t do anything wrong! He can’t fire you like that!”

Wasabi just stared down at his feet. “I don’t know what to think anymore, Gogo,” he said. “It took me forever to find work, and I don’t when I could find another one. And the rent at my place is coming up…”

“Wasabi, I’m so sorry,” Gogo placed an arm on his shoulder. “I’ll take you home.”

“Gogo, what do we do now?” Honey asked. “You don’t really think Big Hero 6 is disbanded?”

“Honey,” Gogo sighed. She looked tired. “We did everything we can to stop Shiragiku but we didn’t make a lot of progress. We didn’t get Baymax back, and seeing Tadashi alive and working for Shiragiku messed up Hiro so bad.”

“But… Abigail and my dad are counting on us!” Fred protested. “And who’s going to protect San Fransokyo? You can’t just quit because Hiro said so!”

“Nobody’s quitting, Fred,” Gogo snapped. “We’re still Big Hero 6, and we’ll continue our mission… With or without Hiro.”

* * *

When Hiro finally came to his senses, he found himself all alone in the garage. He felt disgusted at himself for yelling at his friends, but a small voice inside him told it was the right thing to do. He wanted Baymax to hug him and tell him everything will be alright.

 _That’s right,_ he thought. _I still need to find him, but how will I be able to do that?_

He might be strong enough to take on several Shiragiku mooks but the elite officers could be a problem for him. And his microbots and electric gloves might not be enough.

He remembered the business card Dr. Ishioka gave him at the trade fair. The scientist did invite him to his lab before, and it’s a good time to reveal himself as a superhero to him.

Hiro changed his shirt and put on his hoodie jacket. He felt weird going alone to Ishioka’s home without his friends, but he can’t let it bother him. He stepped into the Lucky Cat café and greeted his aunt.

“Hey, Aunt Cass,” he said. “I’ll be going out for a while.”

“Okay, Hiro,” Cass said with a smile as she takes care of a customer’s order. “Make sure to be back before dinner.”

“Hamada,” a familiar, soft voice called out.

Hiro turned to see someone sitting alone at the table. His stomach clenched when he saw it was Yasuo Ishioka. Yasuo has his laptop open and sitting on the table, with a cup of finished hot chocolate next to him.

“Yasuo, I didn’t know you were here,” Hiro said, surprised.

“I didn’t know you live here,” Yasuo replied in the same tone.

“Hiro, who’s that?” Aunt Cass asked, coming over. “A friend?”

“Um, y-you could say that,” Hiro answered, keeping his arms straight and close to his body while he avoided Yasuo’s gentle, dark eyes. He felt hot and stupid for some reason. “He’s Dr. Yasuo’s son, his name’s Ishioka. I mean--! His FIRST name is Yasuo, not Ishioka!”

Cass raised an eyebrow at Hiro’s stammer but she gave Yasuo a kind smile. “It’s great to meet you, Yasuo. I hope you and Hiro will be good friends.”

Yasuo looked at Hiro briefly, his expression unreadable. “I guess so,” he shrugged.

After Aunt Cass left, Hiro tried to figure out what to say next. He realized he’s been holding his breath for a while.

“So!” he exhaled. “… You live with your dad, right?”

Hiro mentally slapped him for that question. Yasuo’s face didn’t crack a tiny expression.

“Obviously,” he said. “You wanted to see him?”

“Yes!” Hiro nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble…”

“Not really, I was getting to leave and head home anyway. You can come with me if you want.”

Hiro waited for Yasuo to pack up and the two boys left the café. They walked a couple of blocks before they got into a bus. Hiro awkwardly sat next Yasuo, wondering why he’s acting so weird around him. Yasuo didn’t seem to notice the other boy’s odd behavior; he took out his iPhone and began to listen his music. Once in a while, Hiro steals glances at Yasuo, staring at how the black locks rested perfectly against his skin. He noticed a faint scent of strawberry shampoo, was it coming from Yasuo…? It was unusual, but rather fitting.

“So, how was your robot Baymax, Hamada?” Yasuo asked, bringing Hiro back to Earth.

Hiro tried to think up a proper explanation. “He’s… going under repairs at the moment, but he’s alright.”

“I see. That’s too bad, I liked to see him again.” After that Yasuo became quiet again.

When the bus finally came to a stop for what it seemed like half an hour, Yasuo stepped out followed by Hiro. The two arrived at a steep district where the built along a winding hill.

“We’ll have to walk the rest of the way, it’s not so far,” Yasuo said.

Hiro just walked beside Yasuo as the road went higher up the hill while the city became smaller below. Hiro thought it looked like a nice place to ride a bike and he enjoyed the breeze brushing against him. Occasionally, Yasuo would stop to catch his breath, gasping harder and his face growing pale every time he overexert himself.

Soon the two boys reach the last house on the top of the hill, which surrounded by a tall stone wall with an iron gate at the entrance. There was an electronic security next to gate. Yasuo pressed the password code and the gate opened. Hiro entered the estate and was surprised by huge it is. Before him is a two-story, traditional Japanese mansion that must have been built many years ago. In front of it is a beautiful garden with a huge, clear pond and several trees surround the area. The Ishioka Estate isn’t as big as Fred’s estate, but it’s just as grand.

“You live here?” Hiro asked, eyes wide.

Yasuo muttered shyly. “It’s a bit too much, huh? This used to be the home of my dad’s grandfather and we had distant relatives take care of this property while my dad and I stayed in Japan.”

Hiro walked along the cobbled path, eyeing the view. However, Yasuo did not lead directly him into the mansion, but rather around it in the back.

“My dad has his lab that’s blocked off from the main part of the mansion,” Yasuo explained as he and Hiro walked through a bridge over the pond. “He doesn’t want anyone coming in to bother him. But I know he’ll make an exception for you.”

They arrived at the back where they removed their shoes. Yasuo opened the sliding door and the two boys entered a long hall. It was wide, homely, and rather quiet.

“So, it’s just you and your dad living here?” Hiro asked.

“Pretty much,” Yasuo answered.

“Doesn’t it get lonely here?”

“I’m used to it.”

Yasuo walked down a flight of stairs which lead to the door of the basement. He knocked it cautiously and he was met by a gruff voice from behind it.

“Come back later, I’m busy,” Dr. Ishioka grunted.

“Dad, Hiro Hamada is here,” Yasuo said quietly.

The door opened and Hiro saw Ishioka wearing a black t-shirt that showed off his well-toned body shape instead of his usual turtleneck and blazer. He was smoking a cigarette and on his face was a pair of cybernetic glasses that opened a few websites and data files.

“Hiro, I’m happy to see you!” he greeted the teenager cordially. He turns off the glasses and removed it from his face. “You should have called if you were coming to visit.”

“Sorry, I came to see you for something important,” Hiro told him.

Ishioka rubbed his chin. “My lab’s a mess right now, but you can come in. I’ll offer you some drink.”

He allowed Hiro into his lab with a warm expression. Yasuo was about to join in but Ishioka gave his son a cold look and closed door at his face. Yasuo had expected this and he turned away with a defeated, lonely sigh.

* * *

The lab was everything Hiro expected from a famous scientist, and it reminded him of his first visit to the robotics lab at SFIT. The entire room is large, filled with all kinds of hi-tech machinery and modern equipment that could make him faint with excitement; Ishioka’s desk stood in the far corner with a large computer that was on. Hiro went up to a long table full of metal parts, research and blueprints; it appears the scientist is working on the next robot creation.

“We have a guest,” Ishioka commanded which made Hiro look around to see who he was talking to.

A child-sized robot with a cylinder body and round head, and two wheels for its legs rolled over to Hiro. Its entire face is a black screen which showed a picture of a cup with various drinks like hot tea, chocolate, or orange juice, or a can of soda. Hiro pressed his choice on the screen before the robot’s screen went blank and then showed a digital face frowning and shaking his head.

“It does that if you don’t pick the tea at first, since it thinks it’s healthier,” Ishioka explained, mildly amused at Hiro’s befuddled expression. Then he turned to his robot. “He doesn’t want your tea right now, give him what he wants.”

The robot made a beeping sound which resembled a frustrated sigh. Then its head rotated in circular movements before it stopped, and opened a compartment in its chest. A soda can is prepared just for Hiro.

Hiro picked up his drink but when he drank it, was just vegetable juice disguised as soda. The robot made an electronic giggle.

“Where are your manners?” Ishioka demanded at the robot.

The robot finally gave Hiro his proper juice before rolling away back to his spot, beeping.

“I heard that!” Ishioka called after the robot before turning to Hiro. “Sorry, it gets kind of sassy.”

Hiro chuckled and sipped his new soda. “He seems like a cute fella. Are all your robots like that?”

“Not really,” Ishioka said as he cleaned up his messy table. “The ones I created for my company have their own A.I. programs that comes with whatever job they are suited for. I’ve only given a few robots of my own some bits of a personality, and that’s about it. If my robots started acted against their programming, I would fix it so it never happens again.”

After clearing his table, Ishioka snuffed out his cigarette. “What brings you here, Hiro? Have a seat first, get comfortable.”

Hiro flopped onto a vacant chair, trying to find the proper words to say. “Dr. Ishioka,” he began slowly. “Do you know Big Hero 6?”

“They’re those group of young superheroes who stopped the Shiragiku criminals at the trade fair. What about them?” Ishioka inquired.

“I am the leader of Big Hero 6,” Hiro stated. “In fact, my friends and I are superheroes.”

Ishioka blinked in mild surprise. “You? But you kids are fairly young, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but my friends and I fought many battles and stopped many criminals.”

“Then I assume your caregiver robot Baymax robot is part of your team too?” The scientist asked, not missing a beat.

“Yeah… but I upgraded him since he has useful abilities,” Hiro explained. “The reason I came to you because I… Big Hero 6 was assigned by Abigail Callaghan to protect you from Mukuro.”

“I was told by this from Miss Callaghan herself,” Ishioka said slowly, getting up from his seat. “She told me the local superhero team will come to me but she didn’t give out your names. I didn’t realize it’d be you… Then, she must have told you about the Giri, and me being a part of the forgotten Ronin Rangers.”

“Yeah, she said that you used to work alongside Fred’s dad,” Hiro added.

Ishioka smile sadly. “Heh. It’s not just him... Your father was a former teammate as well.”

Hiro’s jaw dropped in shock. This is too much for him to take.

“Wait, my dad’s… a former superhero?” he gasped. “Why didn’t Abigail told me about this? Does she know?”

“I believe Stanwick didn’t tell her everything,” Ishioka replied, frowning a little. His expression then soften as he continued. “Yes, the reason I know so much about your father is because we worked together, just like you and your friends. We were about your age when Ronin Rangers recruited us.”

“Why so young?” Hiro asked, leaning forward to hear the rest of the story.

“We were both brilliant, but I was far more skilled in robotics and engineering,” the older man elaborated. “At first, Ronin Rangers just wanted me, but I didn’t want to join if Tomeo doesn’t get recruited as well. It’s a good thing they did because Tomeo was able to get the skills and experience on surgery, medicine, and biomedical engineering he needed when he became a doctor later in his life.”

“I never knew my dad used to be a superhero too,” Hiro said quietly, digging his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He could feel the shape of the old photograph of his dad he found from the warehouse. “Actually, I never knew him at all, he and my mom died when I was three.”

“I never knew mine as well,” Ishioka muttered, glancing sideways. His expression darkened with bitterness. “My grandfather was the only one who raised me. It’s sad that a young boy so talented like you lost so many family members. I wished I have met you and Tadashi way earlier before when you two were kids.”

At the mention of his brother’s name, Hiro fidgeted uncomfortably.

“Dr. Ishioka, you’ve met my brother before,” he began nervously. “How did you two meet? Why didn’t he tell me about you, and… Did he say anything about how he felt about me?”

Ishioka was confused but he was patient with Hiro’s questions. “I met your brother at some science fair I was visiting, he was just fresh out of high school.”

Hiro tried to remember any past tradeshows that Tadashi must have talked about visiting while the scientist continued talking.

“Your brother was eager to work for my company, but I wanted him to pursue a higher education at first. We kept in touch briefly for a while, about him discussing his robotic caregiver project with me for advice. But we lost contact since I was a busy with my work. The reason he never told you about me is because he wanted to surprise you the moment he graduated from college and start working for my company. He also wanted you to come work for me.”

“H-he did?” Hiro asked, eyes widening.

Ishioka smiled. “He told me that he’s proud having a brother like you and he wanted to see how you would change the world with your gift. That’s all he ever talked about.”

Hiro could feel his heart aching; he really wanted to believe that but after seeing his brother as a villain shattered his view of him.

“Are you alright?” Ishioka asked in a concerned tone.

“Sorry,” Hiro quickly wiped his eyes, hoping no tears will fall out. “I just missed him so much.”

Ishioka gently brushed Hiro’s head and Hiro realized he never knew what a father’s love felt like. It made him feel warm inside but he held himself back because the scientist isn’t his parent.

“Anyways, we’re getting off-track why I’m here,” Hiro said after clearing his throat. “Since you’re a scientist and former superhero, I need you to help me build better weapons and suits that can help me take on Shiragiku. I know you’re probably a busy man…”

“Listen, Hiro,” Ishioka stopped him. He placed his hands on Hiro’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “I understand you’re assigned to protect me, and I will do whatever I can to help you. We’re two brilliant geniuses, we’ll think up the solutions we need to solve our problems.”

Hiro beamed and he felt a heavy burden removed from his chest. Ishioka and Hiro continued talking about each other as Ishioka introduced Hiro to various inventions, and sharing ideas how to improve Hiro and his team’s gear. Hiro had not told the scientist about Big Hero 6 being disbanded, but he felt that was unimportant compared being in the presence of someone who understands him and is just as intelligent; Ishioka is more than his mentor… he’s like his equal.

Hiro didn’t notice how much time has passed when he saw the clock.

“I better be going, it’s getting late and my aunt will worry where I went,” he said hurriedly.

“I can drive you home,” Ishioka volunteered, grabbing his blazer.

Hiro thought his day couldn’t get any better. He packed up the notebook filled with scrawls of his and Ishioka’s ideas and followed the scientist out the lab. Ishioka stopped by the kitchen first and Hiro saw a robot with a flat screen and robotic arms hovering around, preparing dinner. At the table is Yasuo, who is busy on his laptop. A red darumabot was sitting on the table next to him.

 _“I’ll be going out,”_ Ishioka firmly told his son in Japanese, which Hiro understood. _“Don’t stay up late tonight.”_

 _“Yes,”_ Yasuo replied, not looking up.

_“The A.I. you gave to the refreshment robot was rude to my guest. You better fix it before you go to bed.”_

Yasuo nodded, keeping his attitude cool and composed. After Ishioka left, Hiro gave the boy a cheerful smile.

“It was nice meeting you, Yasuo,” Hiro said. “I can’t wait to come back, your dad’s really amazing.”

“I’m glad he liked you, Hamada,” Yasuo said icily. “You’re not a big disappointment like he feared.”

“Um…?" Hiro became awkward at this statement. He was about to say something but no words came out.

“It’s alright,” Yasuo said. He stood up and gave Hiro the red darumabot. “This is for you. I rarely give gifts to strangers but you were okay. Take care of it, it might be useful for you.”

Hiro didn’t know what to say; the moment Yasuo’s hands brushed against his, Hiro could feel his face burning again. He wanted to like Yasuo as potential friend but the other boy’s mysterious coldness prevented him from doing so. Hiro just thanked him and left.

* * *

On the other side of the city, it was near midnight.

The elevator came to a stop at the penthouse of Takachiho Heights, the tallest and most expensive apartment in San Fransokyo. Abigail stepped out from the elevator, eyeing the single door at the end of a luxurious hallway. She was oddly quiet, inspecting every corner to make sure nobody is watching her.

She came up to a mahogany door with the name “Iosama” printed in gold letters on it. She rang the doorbell and heard a male voice.

“Who is it at this late hour?” he asked nervously.

“An old friend, Dr. Iosama,” Abigail replied, keeping her tone casual and light.

The door opened and a thin, middle-aged Japanese man with short cropped hair, glasses and a bowtie which matched his vest greeted her.

“Abigail, is that you?” he asked. “It’s been a long time! Come in!”

Abigail stepped inside the apartment, which seemed normal and orderly except for a grand piano next to fireplace, and a fancy glass chandelier in the huge living room. Abigail could see a swimming pool and terrace outside the glass sliding doors from across the room.

“Shall I get you anything? Tea, or water?” he asked.

“Just tea, thank you,” she replied. Abigail then noticed Dr. Iosama was holding a fire iron in his hand and she raised an eyebrow. “Are you expecting someone to attack you tonight?”

“What? Oh this!” Iosama looked down at the fire iron and hastily returned it to its place. “Sorry, I’ve been on edge, glancing over my back, ever since what happened to your father...”

“Shiragiku just loves to target scientists, don’t they?” Abigail said sourly.

Iosama led Abigail through a hall until they came to the kitchen. A bespectacled young woman whose brown hair is tied in pigtails was fixing a piece of toast for a midnight snack.

“Marys, guess who’s here,” he called out to his daughter. “It’s Abigail.”

She looked up and gave the Abigail a patient smile. “Hi, Abby. I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

“Me too, you’ve grown taller,” Abigail said. “I’m not going to stay long, I just want to get something from your father.”

“I hope it’s something less stressful for my dad.”

Marys then bid her father good night and went up the stairs to her bedroom. When she’s alone, she quietly removed her glasses and untied her pigtails…

“I wish you could stay longer, for Marys’ sake,” Iosama sighed as he prepared a hot pot of tea. “You girls used to play together when you were little while Robert and I have scientific discussions over our books in my office.”

Abigail removed her jacket and sat down on the table. “I wish I could, but I’m here on an important business. And you know why I’m here.”

Iosama chuckled a little, but he didn’t look at her. “I know. Stanwick called me last night and told me you were coming.”

“Do you still have it?” Abigail asked, her tone shifted into serious. “The file for The Izanami Project?”

Iosama gently placed a cup of tea in front of her. “I do,” he answered. His face is heavy with ghosts of an old regret. “I don’t know why I still kept it, it’s not something I’m proud of.”

“Stanwick says Mukuro is after it, and thinks Shiragiku will come after you to obtain it,” Abigail said after sipping her tea. It nearly burned her tongue.

“Mukuro has been after it twelve years ago, along with the program files for the Izanagi System. He was tricked getting the fake Izanami blueprint while I kept the real one far away from the city. I should have never come back to San Fransokyo had I known Mukuro will be returning as well…”

“That’s why handing the real file over to me will divert Shiragiku away from you and your daughter,” Abigail stated. “I know a place to keep it safe, and I know the right people who will make sure it never falls into the wrong hands.”

“Who? Big Hero 6?” Iosama inquired, looking incredulous. “They’re kinda… young, aren’t they?”

“Wasn’t Dr. Ishioka younger than they were when he joined Ronin Rangers with Stanwick?”

“You got me there,” Iosama chuckled again.

“Dr. Iosama, you mentioned the Izanagi System,” Abigail began. “Stanwick only told me vague details about it and Izanami. What happened to those files?”

“They were destroyed years ago. I should have done the same for the Izanami blueprint, but it was our greatest work designed by the combined efforts of me, your father, Dr. Ishioka, and Dr. Hamada...”

He and Abigail both finished their tea and stood up. Abigail then followed Iosama into his office and watched him pull out an old manila envelope from a locked drawer in his desk.

“Here is the blueprint,” he told her.

Abigail stared at the envelope, which is tightly shut, in her hands. “I won’t let Mukuro get his hands on it, no matter what,” she said with a small smirk.

“By the way,” Iosama spoke again. “There are two things I haven’t told you. One… the tea I gave you is jasmine. And you hated jasmine tea.”

The woman’s eyes widen at Iosama’s words. Something went wrong.

“And two… Abigail would have remembered that my daughter Marys died twelve years ago.”

Abigail froze up when she heard something clicking behind her followed by a hard object poking her back.

Behind her, the real Abigail was holding a futuristic handgun with a wide muzzle and a black grip held in place with pins on the underside of the barrel. Abigail kept the gun charging while she glared at the impostor in front of her. She is wearing a form-fitting gray bodysuit with white carbon-fiber armor on her chest, shoulders, and arms, and white boots and gloves. She is wearing a hood which covers her entire head except for her face and thick goggles strapped around her head.

“This is a Plasma Flare Equalizer. It has rapid-fire, long-ranged projectiles,” she said, describing her weapon. “However, its accuracy goes out the window but its knockback and splash damage makes up for it.”

“Very clever, Callaghan,” the fake Abigail sneered, reverting their voice to a male. “But you two made a grave mistake handing the Izanami blueprint over to me.”

The impostor released a cloud of smoke which engulfed the entire room. Abigail was disarmed and she was thrown to the floor. However, she kicked the enemy’s legs, sending him falling down. The two struggled as they tried to reach for the envelope. The impostor managed to elbow Abigail at her neck, scrambled to his feet and grabbed the envelope. He tried to run out of the room but Abigail reached for her equalizer and shot straight at him.

The projectile _whooshed_ through the air and managed to hit his shoulder and knocked him so hard that he flew forward and hit the floor of the living room, landing painfully. For further insult, the flares scattered everywhere from the impact and began to burn his clothes and the envelope.

The impostor’s face began to melt, his disguise falling apart. Angrily, he removed an elastic mask and wig to reveal Tadashi’s scarred face. The rest of his disguise are actually a hi-tech makeup layer which concealed his normal black and blue attire.

Tadashi tried to save the envelope from being burned away but he saw it the papers inside are blank. He has been tricked. He tried to turn on his invisibility cloaking device but he saw it was destroyed by the flare damage.

He saw Abigail running to the room, followed by Dr. Iosama. Rage building inside him, he pulled out his twin electric kali sticks. Abigail shot again, but the bullet’s inaccuracy missed Tadashi.

Tadashi leaped forward and attacked her. Abigail immediately switched her gun to a pair of futuristic trench knives where the blades are coated with plasma laser similar to Wasabi’s weapon. Both opponents, exceptionally skilled in hand-to-hand combat, darted around the room to evade and block each other’s attacks with their weapons. Tadashi found an opening and swung one of the electro-sticks at Abigail’s arm.

Abigail winced in pain and this gave Tadashi the opening he needed. He kicked her in the stomach as her back hit the tall heavy bookshelf. Tadashi then shot a cable wire from his gauntlet which caught the shelf and he brought it down with the intent to smash her. Abigail moved out of the way in time and ducked under the piano, as her foe tried to catch her. She rolled out from the other side, climbed over the piano gracefully and quickly.

She slashed at Tadashi with her knife, leaving a wound above his right eye. Tadashi saw red splashes.

Abigail soon pushed Tadashi into a corner, their weapons pressed heavily against each other as sparks flicker between them. The two continued to glare angrily at each other, forcing their weight to push the other apart.

“Get out of here, Dr. Iosama!” Abigail shouted.

Iosama jittered and ran out the door. However, he ran back into the apartment as quickly as he left.

“What are you doing?!” She yelled, watching him lock the door and barricading it with a chair.

“I saw a group of geishas coming out of the elevator!” he replied, shaking in fear. “They look dangerous.”

 _The Fujitas..._ Abigail thought. _They’re here too?!_

“There’s nowhere else to run, Callaghan!” Tadashi shouted. “It’s over for you!”

Abigail got an idea. She quickly headbutts Tadashi and he sank to the floor, disoriented. She grabbed Iosama and pulled outside the apartment into the terrace through the glass doors.

“W-what are you doing?!” Iosama demanded, glancing at the street far below him. The wind roared around him.

Abigail pulled down her goggles and pressed on a button on her suit to activate a pair of jet-powered mechanical glider wings on her back.

“Are those the short-lived wingpacks created by Krei Tech Industries?” Iosama asked, distracted by the wings and has temporarily forgotten the dangers coming for him. “I thought they weren’t making them anymore?”

“Alistair had one build just for me,” Abigail answered quickly. She tied straps around Iosama close to her body so he wouldn’t fall off.

The door of the living room was brutally cut down and the Fujitas entered the room.

“Knock knock~!” Sayuri, the one in the pink kimono, announced.

Tadashi finally came to his senses and saw Abigail and Iosama in the terrace.

“Hang on, Dr. Iosama,” Abigail said in a low voice.

Iosama screamed as Abigail fell off from the balcony, just as a bladed fan thrown by one of the Fujitas which nearly sliced her head. She dived down and pulled up, now flying into the air. Tadashi and the Fujitas watched as Abigail soared away with their intended target.

“Mukuro won’t be happy when he hears that we failed,” Yuriko grunted.

Tadashi nonchalantly picked up his cellphone. “We still have the Banzai Brothers,” he said.

Abigail kept flying, navigating around the city and avoiding buildings while Iosama kept on screaming and hanging for his dear life.

“Dr. Iosama, please!” Abigail snapped. “We’re safe now…!”

At that moment, on bad cue, a rocket flew right past them and hit a building which knocked Abigail and Iosama aside. Abigail regained control of her wings and saw who shot her.

The Banzai Brothers are now chasing after her on their own jetpacks.

“Bro, I want to shoot down that little bird!” Komeiji grinned.

“She has the doctor with her!” Dominguez yelled. “Karasu wants him alive! Let’s just knock her down!”

Abigail flew faster, trying her best to carry Dr. Iosama while evading the flying rocket projectiles homing after her. Explosions boomed around her as she squinted to find a way to get the two mad bombers off her back. She spotted the rail tunnel and flew inside. The Banzai Brothers followed her.

Abigail kept on flying into the dark tunnel, she could hear the Banzai Brothers approaching closer. She used one hand to reach for her equalizer and shot towards the two men to distract them.

The Banzai Brothers saw the flare and they thought it was pretty harmless until exploded, and knocked back as well burning their clothes.

Abigail flew out from the other end of the tunnel.

“Now let’s get out of here--” Abigail’s words were cut short when a huge metallic hand grabbed her and pulled Dr. Iosama off from her straps. She saw the face of a robot and struggled to shoot at it.

Baymax, however, tossed Abigail away like a ragdoll and the latter dived fell on top of a tree. Her wings were crumpled in half but they managed to break her fall. She watched the huge flying robot took off with Dr. Iosama. She was disappointed that she failed to protect him but she still got one thing that the scientist gave her prior to Tadashi’s arrival.

She reached inside her suit and pulled out an envelope which contains the real blueprint for the Izanami Project.

* * *

Dr. Iosama was taken to the main underground base of Shiragiku. He was pushed into a room with a huge table where the organization’s top officers would sit and meet. At the head of the table, Mukuro was sitting and analyzing him while his two lieutenants, Yama and Tadashi, stood behind him.

Iosama was forced into a seat and he stared nervously at the crooks staring at him.

“Why so nervous, Dr. Keigo Iosama?” Mukuro asked. “I want you to feel comfortable now that you’ll be working for me.”

“W-why should I?” Iosama demanded bravely. “You’re a wanted criminal.”

“Because you’re one of the very few people who knows about Izanami and I want you to help me build it. I was impressed you fooled my lieutenant…” At this, he motioned towards Tadashi, who did not say anything. “…into thinking you gave him the real blueprint. But now we have you to replicate the blueprint for us.”

“H-ha, fat chance!” Iosama laughed, feeling defiant but his knees was shaking terribly. “I don’t know how the blueprint is written exactly, and even if I did… Izanami would never work even if you completed it.”

“And why is that?” Mukuro demanded quietly.

“Because for Izanami to work, you need the Izanagi System,” the scientist replied.

“And I suppose you don’t have the file for that system?”

“The file for Izanagi is split into four parts, given to four people who you will never find!”

Mukuro went quiet for a moment. He reached into his coat and pulled out two CD disc before placing them on the table for Iosama to see.

“I already have two of them,” Mukuro said, reveling in Iosama’s shock. “I just need the last two. You will tell me who has them.”

“I only know Tomeo Hamada has one of them,” Iosama said weakly.

Tadashi perked his head in curiosity. Mukuro noticed it but ignored it.

“But knowing Tomeo… he would have destroyed it a long time ago. You don’t scare me, Mukuro. You have nothing to bribe me with.”

“That’s unfortunate…” Mukuro said coldly. “But we’ll make do what we have for now. Yama, take him to his chamber. He’ll start working on a new blueprint tomorrow.”

Yama went up to Iosama, grabbed him with his big hand and dragged him out the room. Mukuro stood and up left the room through another exit, accompanied with Tadashi.

“You checked every inch of his apartment?” Mukuro asked.

“The Fujitas and I looked everywhere for the last files,” Tadashi answered. “We even have our personal hacker checked Iosama’s computer, but we found nothing.”

“I was a little disappointed that you did not a further background check on Iosama before impersonating Abigail Callaghan.”

“I apologize, but how was I supposed to know Abigail hated a certain tea?” Tadashi said before becoming quiet. He then spoke again. “Professor Callaghan said the same thing when I asked him for the third part of the Izanagi System file. Do you think the last files were destroyed?”

“No, they are hidden somewhere and in the care of someone else,” Mukuro replied. “But we can’t have Operation Everwrath proceed without the blueprint and the last two parts. So for now, we’ll continue working on Operation Warlord.”

“Yes, Master,” Tadashi nodded.

“How does it feel fighting your old friends tonight, Tadashi?” Mukuro asked, suddenly using Karasu’s real name. “Does it hurt you?”

“I told you, I feel nothing for them,” Tadashi said coldly. “And what did I say using my old name?”

Mukuro was satisfied at this response. He glanced briefly at the fresh wound above Karasu’s eye.

“That Callaghan girl is more competent than we expected,” he noted. “We must finish her before we finish Big Hero 6.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Another chapter updated. You may have noticed there are names and words taken from the original Big Hero 6 comics. What is Izanami and Izanagi, and will Hiro forgive his friends?))


	13. You're Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro tried his hand of being a lone superhero but soon realized the difficulties that came with it.

**Chapter 12**

A brief meeting is held in a private room at the Shiragiku’s main base. Mukuro’s elite officers sat in their respective seats, while facing their masked leader.

“I’m so glad you all arrived,” Mukuro greeted them. “I have written out your next duties which are to carry out the different facets of Operation Warlord. Make sure you have these instructions burned in your mind.”

The members picked up their respective papers laid out in front of them. After reading them closely, they destroyed the papers to prevent anyone from reading them.

“And now it’s time talk about the incident on the night of our last rally… when Mr. Sparkles’s life has been cut short after his fight against Big Hero 6,” Mukuro announced. “It was unfortunate to lose him, but he broke a significant rule of this organization: he discovered my true identity.”

His officers were surprised and looked at other, murmuring. Mukuro continued on.

“As you all know, Shiragiku depends a lot of secrecy and just revealing a few names and hidden plans would bring a catalyst to our downfall. Mr. Sparkles not only learned who I am, but he was planning to blackmail me. Of course, he covered it up as a joke, but I already decided I cannot let him live anymore.”

“So, it wasn’t because he was failure?” Yama asked.

“Like I said, it was unfortunate to lose him,” Mukuro said gruffly. “However, he told me something rather interesting on the night before the rally. It appears we have a secret traitor in our organization.”

“Did he say who?” Fujita asked, snarling.

“He did not reveal the traitor’s identity, that’s why I’m leaving Karasu to find out to who it is,” he replied. “Right now, we have other things to worry about. It seems Dr. Iosama must have given Miss Callaghan the blueprints of the Izanami Project which I need to complete my superweapon. She’s probably on her way to bring it to Big Hero 6 so must act quickly to stop her before she reaches them.”

“Master Mukuro, let me do it,” Tadashi said, standing up from his seat. “I know my way around the city, I can find her before noon tomorrow…”

“Be quiet, Karasu,” Mukuro silenced him. His tone is filled with tranquil fury. “You’ve disappointed me the last time and have allowed her to escape with the real blueprints. Your new mission right now is to find the traitor in our organization. If it’s a spy for Big Hero 6, kill them immediately.”

Tadashi sat back down, narrowing his eyes at his leader but said nothing.

“I think it is better we just eliminate Big Hero 6 and take over the city now!” Yama boomed.

“Down with Big Hero 6!” Komeiji of the Banzai Brothers roared, pounding the table with his fist.

“You remember why we can’t do that yet?” Mukuro reminded him, clenching his hands into fists.

Yama angrily glared at him. “I fought these punks long before you showed up. If we allow them to roam free, they will become stronger and stop Shiragiku before we had a chance to attack--”

 ** _“Enough.”_** The room became deadly quiet when Mukuro stood up. _“You are out of line.”_

The tall man in dark samurai-like attire walked over to Yama and held out a gloved hand. He created a red hologram--the same hard light tech from Dr. Ishioka’s android—and formed it into a cube around Yama’s head. Mukuro coldly squeezed the cube; Yama struggled to remove it as he felt his face and head slowly getting crushed. The other members only sat and watched in horror.

“Mr. Yama, do you want to know why I gave you a position higher than the Fujitas?” Mukuro quietly asked. “It’s because of your superior strength and durability, and your gang have more criminal influence than them. But in battle, you lacked the sneakiness and intelligence to carry out my orders. Don’t forget that if it weren’t for me, I would not help several of members from your gang escape from Jigoku Prison. I told you before… Hiro Hamada and his companions are off-limits. They will not be touched until Stanwick of the Ronin Rangers returns to San Fransokyo. _Do I… make myself… clear?_ ”

“R-right, boss!” Yama whined painfully. He was close to suffocating now.

Mukuro released the light holograms and Yama toppled to floor. His face was red and slightly bloated, but he was breathing heavily in relief.

“Yama, you will continue recruiting new members and seek alliances with more crime gangs… bribe or threaten their leaders, I don’t care. Kill the weaker fools who refused,” Mukuro said, creating a hologram of the map of San Fransokyo. “The Fujitas will continue creating terrorist attacks to cause fear and panic, while the Banzai Brothers will search for Abigail Callaghan and retrieve the blueprints. My spies will slowly take control and corrupt from the city within, from the police force to the media. Once we finished our weaponized robots for Operation Warlord, we might take over San Fransokyo roughly in a month.” 

* * *

Tadashi stepped out from the elevator and entered the lab were Baymax is getting worked on with more combat upgrades. Despite the new imposing armor on the caregiver robot, it was a pitiful sight to see it sitting lifeless and forlorn against the wall, held down by metal restraints. Tadashi sat in front of a computer and began to work on a new weapon for the robot when he heard a familair robotic sound.

_“Tadashi.”_

Tadashi quickly looked over and saw Baymax staring at him. He was shocked and confused; he thought had the robot deactivated. Baymax’s red eyes appears to be staring to into Tadashi’s soul and the latter felt uncomfortable.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, glancing away. “You’re working for Shiragiku now. You have no further use for my little brother.”

 _“Tadashi,”_ Baymax repeated his name again.

“Don’t call me that,” Tadashi snapped. “I threw away that name long ago.”

_“Tadashi…”_

“I am satisfied with my care.”

At these words, Baymax deactivated. Despite most of his programming being overwritten, Baymax still retains some of his caregiver features. Tadashi has to find a way to make the robot work fully functional before Mukuro gives Baymax another job.

He felt his old scars hurting again. How much more does he need to be reminded of that night? He heard a knock on the door and saw Fujita, in her casual attire, walk in.

"Still up and working on that old piece of junk?" she said, briefly glancing at Baymax. She set down a cup of hot tea next to Tadashi. "Drink this and get to bed, Karasu."

"I'm your lieutenant, you don't order me around," Tadashi grunted, though he couldn't help smirk.

"I'm looking out for you because you're one of the few men in this organization I liked," Fujita said. "And what's with that smile?"

Tadashi took a sip from his tea. "When you gave me this tea, you remind me of someone I used to date."

Fujita raised an eyebrow and then sat on the desk, facing him.

"You dated before? I didn't expect that from a cold-hearted assassin like you," she commented. "So, who's the lucky girl?"

* * *

The next day, instead of meeting up with his friends, Hiro spent his time at the Ishioka Estate with the famous scientist. Hiro brought his microbots and his superhero gear, and was thrilled to see Ishioka easily amended them and complimented Hiro’s genius creating tech despite his young age.

Hiro doesn’t want to admit out loud, but he gradually considered Ishioka the mentor he wished he has growing up. He learned so many things from and he couldn’t hold his excitement when he was allowed to bring home some parts for him to work on.

“You really mean it?” Hiro asked as he stared at a small wooden crate full of modern metallic objects and a small personal toolbox sitting on top of Ishioka’s workstation.

“I want to nurture your talent, Hiro,” Ishioka told him. He is wearing his favorite black turtleneck today. “You have a gift which you should be proud of.”

Ishioka turned on his computer and accessed the schematics of Hiro’s microbot technology. Hiro stood next to Ishioka and watched him. On the other side of the room, Ishioka’s personal TV was left on and showed the daily news.

“You said you made the first microbots about a couple of months before presenting them at the SFIT Showcase?” Ishioka asked.

“Yeah,” Hiro nodded. “I’ve updated the files and upgraded the bots, but I think there is still more room for improvements.”

“Other than weaponizing them for combat and transportation?”

“Is there?” Hiro inquired.

Ishioka turned to him, eyes shining with an idea. “What do you think of the possibility of creating a hi-tech armored suits for you and your friends, using your microbots?”

Hiro was confused, but curious and excited as well. “I never… thought about that!” he said. “But there’s one problem... The microbots might not be durable enough to withstand impact.”

“But what if you combine it with another tech to make it so, as well as more versatile to save you the trouble of just putting on pieces of armor?” Ishioka suggested. He then motioned Hiro to look at his invention on the computer screen. “I’ve learned that your specialty is actually miniaturizing and building off of others' inventions and capabilities. You did told me you made weaponized versions for your friends based on their talents and skills, right?”

Hiro nodded again.

“Even your microbots are just a miniaturized version of one Callaghan's inventions. Did you ever wonder how Callaghan was able to easily produce more microbots in such a short time?”

“Huh, that explains things,” Hiro understood. “What shall I do to improve my nanobots?”

Ishioka clasped a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “I cannot give you the answer. This is your invention, you must make it work based on your strengths.”

“Miniaturization and tech improvement,” Hiro mumbled, glancing around Dr. Ishioka’s lab for ideas. There are so many cool things in here he could use for potential upgrades. “I don’t think I have the materials I needed at home or at Big Hero 6’s base. You don’t mind me… coming back here often to work on my bots?”

“I don’t mind at all, Hiro,” Ishioka said. “But wouldn’t that worry your aunt that you’re spending a lot of time here instead at home?”

“Don’t worry, she’s used to me hanging out with my friends a lot,” Hiro handwaved this. “I already told her that you’re old pals with my dad and she’s interested to meet you in person.”

“Very well then.” Ishioka smiled and gathered Hiro’s microbots into a small plastic bin and set them aside in a corner for future use. “These aren’t all the microbots you have, are they?”

“No, I have the rest of them back at home. But I’ll bring them all here as soon as possible.”

“I might not be available every day to talk to you and I’ll give you a spare key so you can have access to my lab. I trust you not to make a mess?”

“Of course!” Hiro chuckled nervously.

“Also, I want you to bring your friends here next time,” Ishioka said. He noticed Hiro falling silent. “What’s wrong?”

“Dr. Ishioka… is it alright I don’t bring my friends here?” Hiro slowly asked, averting his eyes.

“They’re your teammates, aren’t they? They would like to share second opinions on how they want their suits and weapons improved… Did something bad happened to the team?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Hiro suddenly snapped. “Sorry, things going tensed with Big Hero 6 at the moment.”

Ishioka understood, nodding with patience. Hiro was glad the scientist didn’t press on. Suddenly, the two of them heard the newscaster announcing trouble downtown in the city, and the perpetrators are Shiragiku members.

“Sorry, I gotta run!” Hiro grabbed his supersuit. He has to catch the criminals before they get away.

* * *

Down in the middle of San Francisco, the Fujitas stood inside the cultural center which they have attacked, reveling the chaos they have started.

“I’ve always hated centers like this,” Sayuri yawned before smashing a row of fragile pots. “They always bore me.”

“You have no taste in art, sister,” the tall, green kimono-clad girl named Natsume sneered.

The Yokai Mooks, who have accompanied the female companions, were ransacking and attacking nearby citizens who were trying to flee and hide. Two of the kabuki-masked mooks were vandalizing an important painting when they were knocked aside by a pillar made of microbots.

The Fujitas and the rest of the mooks stopped and turned to see Hiro, in his armor, facing them.

“Where’s the rest of your team?” Fujita asked in a mocking team. “Are they all having a sick day?”

“Give it up, Fujitas,” Hiro demanded. “You can make my job here easier.”

“How naïve you are,” Fujita sighed, rolling her eyes. “Do you think you can actually take on all of us? You are outmatched.”

The Yokai Mooks leaped into the battle, trying to attack Hiro from different directions. Hiro formed a microbot whip and swept it around the room, lashing at each criminal with ease. Once all the weaker mooks are taken, the rest of them tried to escape but they were mowed down by a barrage of nanobots.

Once he’s done, he turns to face the Fujitas.

“Okay, ladies,” he said with a cocky smile. “You were saying about me being… outmatched?”

Fujita growled. “Run home to your mommy, little boy!”

She threw her fan at his direction. Hiro moved his head sideways as the sharp tips slashed the side of his helmet. He ducked again when the fan returned back to Fujita liked a magnetic boomerang. The Fujitas surrounded him, gracefully moving around like koi with their weapons out.

Sayuri and Natsume zoomed after Hiro who then used his microbots to protect himself from their tag team attacks. Hiro shot another microbot-formed whip and swept it across their feet, trying to trip them.

He saw Fujita coming close toward him and he shot a spike at her, but she proceed to slice it apart with her fan with elegant ease. With Hiro distracted, Sayuri leaped swung her meteor hammer forward. The iron ball struck his chest and Hiro flew backwards, landing on floor hard. The teenaged boy coughed and painfully gasp for air. His vision blurred a bit and he noticed the chest plate of his armor was shattered. He saw Fujita threw her fan again… except not toward him.

He looked up and saw the fan slice through the rope holding up the glass chandelier above his head. Acting quickly, he summoned his bots to cover him as the chandelier crashed on top of him, shattering to pieces.

The Fujitas slowly approached the mess, wondering if they have killed the leader of Big Hero 6.

“I thought we are not supposed to kill the leader of Big Hero 6,” Natsume muttered. “Wasn’t that the boss’ order?”

“Don’t worry, he can’t die from that,” Fujita said. “Karasu said the boy has a lot of durability.”

Hiro, who has been listening to them, waited for the opportunity to attack. He used the neurotransmitter inside his helmet to activate the core microbot.

The Fujitas stepped back when they say the pile of microbots buzz and form into a gorilla. The ladies tried to attack it, but the microbot-gorilla grabbed Natsume and Sayuri; he knocked their heads together and threw their unconscious bodies aside.

Fujita was furious to see her sisters taken out like that, faced the artificial beast alone. The gorilla tried to smash her with its fists but she dodge the blows. She pulled out two metal fans and slashed apart the microbots until they all fell to pieces. She looked around for Hiro but he was nowhere to be found.

Her entire body shook from a powerful electrical shock that took her by surprise, and she fell to floor—defeated. Standing over her body, Hiro smiled with victory while his electro-glove emit low sparks. He managed to hide and waited to strike when the Fujitas were distracted by his microbots.

He has stopped all the Shiragiku members inside the cultural center by himself without the help of his so-called friends.

* * *

Several minutes later, the police arrived and cuffed Fujitas and the Yokai Mooks before pushing them into cruisers. Ambulances arrived to take care of citizens who were hurt.

Hiro was watching the scene on top of a building when he heard the rest of Big Hero 6 arriving.

“Hiro!” Wasabi spoke up. “We just saw Shiragiku’s attack on the news and we came as fast as we can.”

“You guys came too late,” Hiro told them with an arrogant smile. “I took care of it. All by himself.”

“Whoa, that’s amazing!” Fred exclaimed. “How did you--?”

Fred stopped talking when Gogo gave him a disapproving look.

“Hiro, your armor,” Honey gasped when she saw the damage on Hiro’s suit. She tried to reach out for him. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Hiro pushed her hand away. “In fact, I’m feeling really good right now.”

“Dude, I know how much you want to catch the bad guys, but you can’t do this by yourself,” Wasabi stated in a concerned tone.

“You guys don’t get it,” Hiro said stubbornly. “I figured how to make things work… You four are so busy with college and your personal lives you get distracted, tired and sloppy in battles. As for me, I don’t have any personal problems. I can easily respond to any danger without anything to hold me back.”

“Hiro, it’s not about you doing being better at this job as a genius,” Gogo said. “We don’t want to have an easy normal life worrying about you fighting on your own. You’re doing this because you’re still angry at us.”

“So?” Hiro snapped. “At least I care more about San Fransokyo than you!”

“That’s not true, we formed this team to protect the city together!”

“Well, I don’t want to work with a team that hides secrets from one another! Big Hero 6 is finished!”

“Big Hero 6 isn’t finished,” Gogo said slowly in a calm voice. “You just gave up on this team… and the legacy what your brother wanted.”

Hiro was taken aback but he shot icy daggers at her.

“Excuse me, I need to find another criminal to catch. And stay out of my way!”

Before his friends can stop him, Hiro and his microbots left.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Hiro returned home and he was patching up his wounds in his room.

“Ow!” Hiro winced as he dabbed some disinfection on his skin. He wished the pink kimono-wearing Fujita didn’t hit him that hard.

On his laptop is the map of San Fransokyo and the nursebot’s gps system. It hasn’t went off yet but once Baymax is active somewhere in the city, the tracker will pin his location.

“Hiro?” he heard his aunt’s voice coming downstairs. “Can you come down? I have something to tell you.”

Hiro wore a love-sleeved shirt over his body to cover up his bruises before descending into the living room. Aunt Cass is setting out groceries out on the kitchen table.

“Hey, Aunt Cass,” he said, trying to sound casual. “What is it?”

“Your Uncle Aiji will be coming to visit us tomorrow night for dinner,” she said. She doesn’t like she’s excited to meet the brother of her late brother-in-law. “He’s usually a busy man, so he’s spending his day off with us.”

“Oh.” Hiro paused, wondering how he should react to this.

“It’s okay if you find him frustrating to be around with,” Cass said with a supportive smile.

“It’s not that, Auntie,” Hiro shook his head. “It’s just that, I haven’t seen him for a long time ever since I graduated from high school. And I didn’t expect him to visit us out of the blue.”

“That man…” Cass began washing some potatoes on the kitchen sink, speaking slowly in a bitter tone “… thinks he can decide when to show his face around without warning on such a short notice. Personally, I think he does it to embarrass me, because I adopted you and Tadashi while he didn’t.”

Hiro felt uncomfortable; he is once again reminded that his aunt and his uncle don’t get along. “I’m pretty sure he’s not doing it to get back at you… M-maybe he’s coming over so he can patch things up with you?”

“I highly doubt it,” Cass scoffed. “The last time we talked over the phone, he said a lot of things: about me being blind by not noticing stuff, and not understanding my own nephew so well.”

“Aunt Cass, don’t let him drag you down like that,” Hiro said, now fiercely protective of her. “He doesn’t know me, and understand me like you do.”

The phone suddenly rang.

“Hiro, can you get that for me?” Cass asked as she stopped in the middle of peeling the potatoes. “My hands are full.”

Hiro went over the phone and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hiro, it’s me,” Gogo’s voice spoke up. “Don’t hang up. We have to talk.”

“I’m sorry, we’re not interested donating to the blood drive,” Hiro lied in a loud voice so his aunt could hear him.

“Hiro, wait--”

Hiro hung up without waiting for her to finish.

* * *

Gogo grunted angrily and almost slammed her fist down at the table of the Sweet Bean café. Wasabi and Fred are sitting across her and they both gave her sympathetic looks.

“We’ll call him again later,” Wasabi said.

“There’s no ‘later’. We promised Abigail that we’d meet up with her tonight at Fred’s place,” Gogo told him. “She wants the whole team to be there since she has something to show us.”

Honey, currently in her shift, came over to their table and set down a couple of coffee cups.

“You think it’s something to do with Shiragiku?” she asked in a low voice. “Maybe she found out what secret weapon they’re planning to build.”

“We do know Yama is helping Mukuro build a machine that would destroy San Fransokyo,” Wasabi stated.

“Man, I can’t believe a buffoon thickheaded like Yama is involved with a criminal organization,” Fred commented. “At least Hiro managed to apprehend those Fujita ladies. I gotta admit—the little guy’s proved himself strong without Baymax.”

“Hiro is already strong,” Gogo said. “But he still needs us.”

“But he doesn’t want to talk to us,” Wasabi said.

“I got an idea how he’ll be friends with us,” Fred suggested. “Maybe we can disguise ourselves and pretend to kidnap him…”

“Freddie, that’s a terrible idea!” Honey gasped.

“She’s right,” Gogo agreed. “If Hiro wants to join us again, he has to do it on his own terms.”

Fred had no choice but to listen to her. “Okay, but we’re making the fake kidnapping Plan B, right?”

* * *

Hiro spent the rest of the afternoon in his garage fixing up his suit and the microbots, also going through new ideas to upgrade them to impress Dr. Ishioka.

It was around early evening when he decides to patrol around the city and hunt down criminals. In a few hours, he singlehandedly managed to apprehend several robbers and busted a couple of illegal gambling rings. He felt proud of this feat, though a small part of him knows it’s not the same without the rest of his team. Especially without Baymax.

Hiro stood on top of a tall building overlooking the city, keeping his tracker open for any signs of Baymax. As he scanned throughout the horizon, he saw dark smoke rising in the distance.

He dashed along the rooftops on his microbots and stopped to stare at the horrifying sight before him: the upper floors of a hotel engulfed in flames. He heard police and firetruck sirens wailing as the firemen tried to rescue anyone trapped inside the burning building.

“There’s several people trapped in the last floor!” he heard one of them shouted. “We can’t reach them in time!”

Feeling like this is his time to shine, Hiro slid through the terrified crowd.

“I’ll go save them!” he announced his presence and disappeared into the building.

“Kid, wait!” A fireman tried to stop him but he was too late.

“Isn’t he part of that superhero team everyone’s talking about?” his companion inquired. “Why is he alone?”

“He’s going to get himself killed!”

It was chaos inside the hotel; smoke blinded his vision as Hiro tried to see where he was going. He covered himself with his microbots and hurried to top floors where the fire started.

As he approached, the fire has already burned everything in its path. The flames grew hotter and it was difficult for him to navigate through. Still, Hiro is determined to save the survivors.

He kicked down a door and found himself in a large room. He noticed a young child crouching in the corner, panicking and screaming.

 ** _“Grandmamaaaa!”_** the little boy wailed.

 _“Hey, kid!”_ Hiro shouted. _“I’m here to rescue you!”_

Hiro heard a loud cracking noise above him and saw the ceiling ready to collapse. Thinking quickly, he rolled over and covered himself and the boy with the microbots, protected by the fallen debris.

Hiro opened and window and used his microbots to lower the child below into the safety of his grandparent’s arms.

Hiro left the room, to try and find other people. He heard a couple of people screaming for help from the next room, and a few more were heard from the next floor above him.

_“Hang on, I’m coming!”_

Hiro found himself getting dizzy and coughing from the smoke. He didn’t realize there are so many people he has to rescue. He tried to open a door but it won’t budge. He forced it down with his microbots and he stumbled into a room.

He saw a pair of adults lying lifelessly on the floor. He tried to wake them up, but there was no signs of breathing.

“Please, don’t die…” he begged under his breath.

Flashbacks of the fire at SFIT and Tadashi running into the fire played in his mind. He then started to to panic, his hands are shaking.

At the moment, the floor underneath him gave away. Hiro fell through two floors and painfully landed, his microbots scattering everywhere. Before he can get up, debris from the upper floors buried him. Crushed under darkness and heat, Hiro blacked out.

* * *

When Hiro woke up again, he found himself lying on the roof of a building much to his surprise. His helmet and microbots are lying next to him.

“How… How did I get here?” he wondered out loud.

He remembered the burning hotel and looked around to see the building was finally doused. Hiro remembered he tried to save the people who were trapped, but his blood turned to ice when he realized that he only saved one person…

* * *

Gogo and the others were still at the Sweet Bean café waiting for Honey to end her shift when they heard the news of the fire incident, and how lone member of Big Hero 6 failed to save five people who have perished.

“We have to go see him,” Gogo said urgently.

The group reached the Hamada household and found the garage opened. They looked inside and saw Hiro sitting on the red couch, still in his burnt suit. His face was pale and ashen, but his eyes were wide and filled with horror.

“Hiro,” Gogo quietly spoke up. “We heard what happened. We’re so sorry…”

“You… you guys came to see me?” Hiro slowly looked at his friends. For once he didn’t feel irritated to see them.

“Of course, you’re our friend,” Honey said. “We were worried. We thought you got hurt.”

Hiro got up and embraced the closest person; Fred returned the hug and rubbed his back. Hiro’s body trembled and he broke down crying.

“I thought I could save them all by myself!” Hiro cried. “And I said all those terrible things to you today! I’m… I’m such an idiot!”

Wasabi placed a comforting hand on his thin shoulder.

“We’re sorry that we weren’t there to help you,” he apologized. “And we’re sorry for not telling you about Tadashi before.”

“We should have never hid it from you,” Gogo shook her head. “I won’t blame you if you hate us.”

“I’m not angry anymore,” Hiro sniffled and broke away from the hug. He looked so tired. “Do you remember… what we planned to do after we stopped Callaghan? That we’d protect San Fransokyo and help people because it’s what Tadashi would have wanted?”

His eyes began to tear up and his lips quivered.

“Everything I’ve done to make this team and our mission a possibility was all for him. But now he’s alive and a different person who doesn’t care about anyone anymore, I wonder… if all our efforts never meant anything at all?”

“Of course they do, Hiro,” Honey said. “We made the city a better place. This team and our achievements is what made us become the people we are right now. Tadashi may have changed… but that doesn’t destroy the legacy we built on.”

“We’re still Big Hero 6 and we promised we’d find Baymax and stop Shiragiku,” Wasabi added.

“But we can’t do it without you,” Fred finished. “You’re not alone, buddy. We’re by your side to the very end.”

Hiro looked at his friends and beamed happily, wiping away his tears. He still felt awful but the pain hurt less now that his friends are here to help him.

Gogo’s cellphone interrupted the beautiful moment much to everyone’s annoyance. Gogo knew who was calling her and she picked it up.

“Yes, it’s me,” she talked to the other person. “We’re still on schedule. See you soon.”

“Who was that?” Hiro asked with curiosity.

“That was Abigail,” Gogo answered. “She has news for us.”

* * *

“Master Mukuro, the dirty deed has been done,” Dominguez announced as he and Komeiji stood before their leader in Shiragiku’s mainbase.

“Ah, very good, Banzai Brothers,” Mukuro said as he held the folder containing what he assumed to be the blueprints he wanted. “I’m glad I have some people I can rely on. Now we don’t have Abigail Callaghan to worry about.”

“Oh, tracking her down was so easy! She barely put up a fight since we blasted her and her hotel room away!” Komeiji chuckled.

Mukuro looked through the files and slowly gave the two bombers an icy glare. Something is wrong.

“Banzai Brothers, you recalled I assigned you a duty into finding the Callaghan girl.”

“Yeah,” the Banzai Brothers both nodded.

“And you remember your assignment mentioned retrieving the Izanami blueprints and files.”

“Yeah.”

“So, tell me… Did you destroy Callaghan and her room before or after you retrieved this folder?”

Dominguez and Komeiji soon began to sweat nervously.

“B-before!” Dominguez stammered. “We’re not dumb enough to destroy everything immediately, we definitely got the right files!”

“Really?” Mukuro sneered. Then he drops several papers at their feet. “Then why there are ads of the Lucky Cat café inside here?”

The Banzai Brothers trembled and suppressed their terrified screams.

“Callaghan must have switched papers in order to trick me,” Mukuro grumbled. “And you idiots have killed her before I find out where she kept the real files.”

“Wait, Mukuro!” Dominguez protest. “It’s possible that she may still be alive! She wasn’t found among the dead bodies that were recovered from the hotel we burned down!”

“That IS a possibility,” Mukuro muttered. “I don’t expect her to die that easily. This time, however, I’ll just send the Fujitas to retrieve the Izanami files.”

Komeiji took this wrong timing to say something he regretted.

“Actually, the ladies are in jail right now,” he blurted out. “Hiro Hamada had defeated them earlier this afternoon.”

“Hey! Shut up, you fool!” Dominguez hissed.

Mukuro went deadly quiet. When he finally spoke, he sound like he was repressing his urge to murder them.

“I’m giving you two hours… No, ONE hour to break the Fujitas out of jail and bring them here. Or I’ll have you two join Mr. Sparkles in hell.”

Dominguez and Komeiji both stood in their spot like deer caught in headlights before running off.

* * *

In several minutes, the team arrived at Fred’s estate and gathered in the secret room where Abigail is waiting for them.

“I’m glad you all came,” Abigail said as she started up the security measures around the estate to make sure no Shiragiku spies are nearby. “I had a near death experience an hour ago, Shiragiku found me and attacked me at my hotel room but I managed to escape from them.”

“Wait, there was fire at a hotel not too long ago,” Hiro said, eyes widening. “You were staying there?”

“Not anymore,” Abigail grimaced. “Shiragiku thought it would be amusing to set fire to the building after tracking me down.”

“Why were they after you?” Honey asked.

“Because I have an important blueprint they were seeking. It was given to me by a friend of my dad.” Abigail pulls out the files and lay them on the table. “Shiragiku wanted their hands on them but I cannot let them have it, no matter what.”

Hiro leaned closer, trying to see the file. “What is this blueprint?”

“I’ll explain in a bit. But first, I want to introduce you guys to someone. Fred, you already know who he is.”

Big Hero 6 heard someone entering the door behind them. They turned around to see a tall, aging man wearing a blue jacket and a red ascot walking in. Behind his aviator sunglasses, his pride-filled eyes stared at the new superhero team before him.

“Dad!” Fred exclaimed happily. “You’re home!”

“Welcome, Big Hero 6,” Stanwick greeted them. “I guess this my first time meeting the team. My son has told me a lot about you. We have a lot to talk about…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry that this took a long time to update. I have a lot of difficulties writing this chapter.
> 
> Now that Stanwick finally appears, what plans does he have for our superhero team? Will they be able to save Baymax?))


	14. Cursed Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stanwick reveals important secrets to Big Hero 6, while drama arises in the Hamada family.

**Chapter 13**

In one of the lower labs of Shiragiku’s main base, Tadashi has just finished creating a blue cartridge chip, with an unknown program downloaded from his computer.

 _It’s time to test it out,_ he thought, glancing towards Baymax’s lifeless body.

He then eyed up to the security camera watching him above his door. It has been broken for several hours and nobody has noticed it. Mukuro should focus more on maintenance of the base and less on plotting.

Tadashi walked over to Baymax and opened the access port on the robot’s left chest. There was already another chip, colored white, inside. Tadashi removed that chip and replaced it with the blue one. Mukuro had criticized to him that the white chip has a ‘weak’ security system and demanded a new one to be made as soon as possible.

Tadashi inhaled and closed the port, and then waited. He stood waiting there in stony silence …

Baymax’s eye scanners lit up.

* * *

“I need to introduce you guys to someone,” Abigail said, pointing her head towards the door of Big Hero 6’s secret base and command center.

Everyone turned around to see Fred’s father dressed in fancy clothing and aviator sunglasses who gave Fred a proud clap on the shoulder.

“It’s good to see you. Welcome, Big Hero 6,” Stanwick greeted them. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“I’ll say!” Hiro shouted. “We have questions and we demand answers!”

“Hiro,” Wasabi calmed him down.

The younger boy took a deep breath and began again in a calmer tone.

“Sir, I didn’t mean to disrespect your choices,” Hiro said slowly. “But why didn’t you tell us about Mukuro and Shiragiku a long time ago? We could have prepared ourselves and learn how to deal with them. And…” He stopped and swallowed any burst of rage. “Why didn’t you want my friends to tell me that my brother is alive?”

Hiro’s friends looked back and forth between at their leader and Stanwick, waiting for this tense moment to be solved quickly but without any trouble. Stanwick seemed to expecting this from Hiro since he pulled up a seat and urged everyone to do the same.

“Hiro, I understand how you feel and you deserve to be frustrated,” Stanwick said. “I will say this: withholding important information from you and your team isn’t because you kids are young and could not handle a dangerous criminal organization like Shiragiku.”

“Then why weren’t we told about Shiragiku before they showed up?” Gogo asked.

“It’s because I wasn’t even sure if Mukuro will return to San Fransokyo,” Stanwick replied. “This city isn’t the only territory of Shiragiku. They used to have their original headquarters in Japan but it was abandoned a long time ago. My few undercover agents could only gather rumors of Shiragiku reforming but not where it will make its public appearance. I originally planned to tell you kids from the very beginning but I didn’t want to make you feel paranoid that they’ll show up any time. At the very least, I only told my son what I know.”

“Then why didn’t you come back immediately when Shiragiku finally showed up?” Wasabi asked.

“I was in Japan, trying to find clues about their new plans but the new Shiragiku have never set foot in the original organization’s headquarters and it was difficult to find any information regarding them. However, I did manage to learn of a mysterious assassin who leaves behind white chrysanthemum flowers next to the bodies of people he killed. And those flowers are usually the calling card of Shiragiku.”

“And this mysterious assassin was Tadashi, right?” Hiro cringed. “How did you know it was him? You never met Tadashi before, so how do you know who he is?”

“I know all about him and know what he looks like, since Fred talks about him through e-mails,” Stanwick chuckled a little before his face became grim. “And I also learned about his supposed death.”

“So, do you know how he survived?” Hiro asked, leaning close. “I know Professor Callaghan survived the fire because he had my microbots, but Tadashi had nothing to protect himself.”

“I have theories. I believe the reason he survived is because someone pulled him out of the fire and took him away to make it look like he died.”

“Mukuro,” Hiro suddenly said. Eyes turned to him. “Tadashi told me that he owed a debt to Mukuro and I didn’t know what he meant by that.”

“Make sense if Mukuro was indeed the one who rescued Tadashi,” Abigail spoke up. “Otherwise he wouldn’t train Tadashi to be his lieutenant and do his dirty work for him.”

“Sir,” Hiro turned to Stanwick again. “Why didn’t you want Fred and the others to tell me that Tadashi was alive?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I wanted to protect you from the terrifying truth,” Stanwick replied. “If you found out your older brother is alive and is working for the villain, you’d go out and find him. But that would also lead you right into Shiragiku’s hands and get you killed.”

“But why would Tadashi join Shiragiku?” Hiro demanded. “He always cared about people, it’s not like him to do a complete 180 degrees switch. Mukuro must have forced him by threat or something…”

“Hiro, how do you know there’s still good in Tadashi?” Honey asked.

“He stopped being our friend the moment he attacked us,” Fred said.

“I don’t know,” Hiro admitted sadly. “I just wanted to know the truth.”

Stanwick removed his glasses and clean them with a hankerchief. “You remind me so much of your father, Hiro,” he said with a warm smile. “You have doubts but you’re not willing to abandon someone you loved.”

“You know Hiro’s dad?” Wasabi asked.

“He does!” Hiro said, perking up. “Dr. Ishioka told me that my dad used to be a former member of Ronin Rangers.”

“WHAAAAAT?!” Hiro’s friends screamed in unison, almost falling over anime-style.

“You didn’t tell me about this!” Abigail shouted at Stanwick.

“I’m only an old man, Abby,” Stanwick shrugged. “I AM getting a bit senile.”

“Hiro, if both our dads were former superheroes… that means we were fated to become superheroes together!” Fred exclaimed, his eyes bulged with excitement. "I'm so amazed, I could crap my britches!"

 _"DON'T,"_ Gogo warned him.

“I should have seen this coming. It’s no wonder why Mukuro has Tadashi working for him,” Abigail grumbled, smacking her head. “Only Mukuro would find it ironic to get his former enemy’s son to become his right hand man. Oh wow…” Sweat drops roll down her face. “… It makes sense now…”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about if you don’t tell us,” Wasabi said.

“It’s regarding the Izanagi System files,” Abigail said quickly, going through the papers she brought with her.

“The what?”

“She’s referring to a trio of supercomputers designed by Dr. Ishioka during his research into bio-computers and A.I. intelligence many years ago,” Stanwick explained. “He was part of a secret government project, and his team included Hiro’s father and Robert Callaghan.”

“Professor Callaghan?!” Big Hero 6 cried with surprise.

Hiro remembered something and pulled out the old photo from his pocket. He showed it to Stanwick and everyone else.

“I found this at the warehouse where Callaghan was producing my microbots,” he said. “I was going to tell you guys about it but it slipped off my mind when Baymax was kidnapped.”

“This looked like it was taken many years ago, but I recognized Dr. Iosama in the picture,” Abigail observed. “He’s the scientist who gave me the blueprints of Izanami.”

“What is Izanami?” Gogo asked, frowning. “I’m getting all confused now with all this revelations.”

“Should we tell them, Stanwick?” Abigail turned to her mentor, looking reluctant to indulge any more information to the young heroes.

“We owe them the truth, Abigail.” The old retired superhero cleared his throat. “Izanami is the name of a superweapon capable of mass destruction.”

Deathly silence filled the room as everyone hang on to every word from his mouth.

“It was constructed long ago in Akuma Island and it had the power to reduce an entire city to ashes. The blueprints to it remained in existence even after the weapon was built, whoever possessed the blueprints would have the potential to awake the monster and bring ruin to the world. The blueprints had been preserved as a means of bringing Izanami back into existence. At this point, however, the blueprints are kept in safe hands while Izanami itself is still asleep.”

“M-my dad… helped built a superweapon?” Hiro stammered, feeling his heart pounding. “I thought he was just a medical doctor!”

“People live double lives, Hiro, and your father is no exception.”

“That’s the reason why Mukuro sent his lackeys after me,” Abigail added. “He wants to get his hands on Izanami. But while the weapon was built, it was never completed. The Izanami Project was shut down because it was seen too dangerous and many lives were lost during one tragic accident. Mukuro wants the blueprints so he could finish the job.”

“But!” Stanwick holds up a finger. “He has one disadvantage. The weapon cannot be activated without the Izanagi System. The files for Izanagi are split in four different parts and hid by the four scientists who developed Izanami. Right now, we have one of them and unfortunately, Mukuro may have gotten at least one part since he murdered Callaghan for it.”

“How do you know all these stuff?” Hiro asked.

“We have a secret spy working close to Mukuro under the disguise as one of his members,” Stanwick said. “I don’t know who they are but they’ve contacted me several times in the past and shared important secrets to us.”

“But you know Shiragiku deals with secrecy, how you can trust someone you don’t know?”

“I don’t, but they’re the only inside source we have to get the basic details of Mukuro’s next plans. The good news is that Mukuro isn’t in a hurry to get Izanami started without the blueprints and program files. According to our spy, Shiragiku is currently working on secret plan called Operation Warlord.”

“What is Operation Warlord, dad?” Fred asked.

“I don’t know, Fred. Our spy couldn’t give me the full details because they’re now under careful watch by Mukuro, who now discovered he has a traitor in his organization. It might take a while to get more news from them.”

Hiro became silent and looked over to his friends. They felt the weight of this job became heavier now they know what Mukuro’s goal is.

“What can we do now?” Hiro demanded.

“Right now, is just to continue patrolling the city for more Shiragiku activities. The best we can do is hinder any progress the organization makes and try to discover what Operation Warlord is before making countermeasures against it,” Stanwick replied. “On your next semester break from college, I’ll have Heathcliff take you kids to the family island for your training.”

“Training?” Gogo repeated.

“I haven’t been to the family island in years!” Fred grinned. “This is so cool!”

“In one week on the island, Abigail will be training you to become stronger and there’ll be modern equipment provided to upgrade your weapons.”

“Would Dr. Ishioka be coming with us?” Hiro asked hopefully.

“Weeell…” Stanwick rub the back of his neck. “I asked Ishioka to join us, but he said he’s working on something important for his company and it’ll be hard for him to leave his lab.”

Hiro was disappointed but he understood. Then he remembered something.

“Wait, who will be watching over Ishioka if he’s targeted by Shiragiku?”

“I will!” Stanwick said, pointing a thumb at his chest. “Besides, the two of us have a lot of catching up to do.”

Wasabi suddenly bolted up with a panicky yelp which made everyone jump. “I just remembered that in nine days, we’ll be having our final exams at our school!”

“I forgot!” Honey gasped, dropping her purse. “I haven’t studied lately.”

At this, Gogo began to grow pale. Stanwick got up and the rest followed him.

“I think you kids should head home and get some rest,” he said with a kind smile. “Superhero duty is hard job but it’s not worth neglecting your personal life and education.”

“It’s not that bad, Mr. Lee,” Hiro snickered.

“Please, call me Stanwick,” the old man said. “And where do you get the idea of calling me Mr. Lee?”

“But isn’t that your last name…?” Honey blinked in confusion. She turned to Fred for answers.

“Yeah, well…” Fred grew sheepish. “Lee is just a shortened version of Lebur.”

“Lebur--Leb… Wait, does that mean you’re related to Dr. Lebur?” Wasabi asked. His jaw dropped.

“Bingo!” Fred gave him a thumbs up but he doesn’t look happy about it. “He’s my uncle but I don’t want to be associated with that jerk. … No offense, dad.”

“I don’t like him too, son, even though we’re related,” Stanwick shrugged. “He never liked my underwear recycling method.”

“Ugh! Too much information!” Wasabi screamed in disgust.

 _This is some weird small world we lived in, since almost everybody knows each other,_ Gogo thought as she shook her head.

Stanwick and Abigail bid everyone goodnight and they left the room with the Izanami blueprint to put away for safekeeping. Before the team can leave as well, Gogo turned to everyone with a desperate look.

“Listen, I feel embarrassed asking you guys this,” she said slowly, as her voice became quieter. “But I need help… studying for the final exams…”

To her relief, nobody laughed.

“Of course, Gogo!” Honey smiled. “We can form a study group!”

“I don’t mind, actually,” Hiro nodded. “I am wondering why you brought it up.”

Gogo sighed and her face went red. “I wasn’t doing so well with my studies weeks ago and my grades were dropping since I was more preoccupied with my superhero job.”

“So, that’s why you were hiding your test papers,” Honey said, remembering that day. “But you said you got a high score on our last test…”

“I lied, okay!” Gogo snapped. “I didn’t want to look like an idiot. Recently, I’ve been sacrificing sleep to gradually raise my grades, but I’m worried that in the upcoming final exams, if I don’t pull up some good scores…”

“We’re not going to let that happen to you, Gogo,” Wasabi told her. “We’ll help you, and we’re gonna pass all our exams together.”

“Cuz Big Hero 6 sticks together!” Fred exclaimed.

“Freddie, you’re not a student at our college,” Honey reminded him, a single sweat drop rolled down her face.

“Yeah, but I wanna support Gogo too!” Fred grinned as he wrapped an arm around their friend, pulling her into a hug.

Gogo punched him (not too hard, though) in the side and he let go.

Hiro watched his friends laughing together, and he laughed a little too. Hours ago, the team was separated due to his brash actions but everyone is now acting like it never happened. Frankly, he doesn’t mind it.

He stared at the huge space in the middle of the group, and imagined Baymax standing there, confused but ready to support the team.

* * *

The Banzai Brothers returned to Shiragiku’s headquarters along with the Fujitas they broke out from jail.

“I can’t believe all three of us were taken down by a little brat!” Sayuri complained. “When I find him, I’ll cut him up!”

“Calm down, sister,” Natsume said. “You could wake the entire base with all that shouting.”

“I think we deserve a little reward for busting you ladies out,” Komeiji stated. He inched closer to Fujita and waggled his eyebrows. “It starts with a ‘k’.”

Fujita forcefully pulled his ear and he yelped in pain.

“Bro, help! She’s gonna tear my ear out!”

Dominguez, however, just ignored him.

They entered the meeting room where they’re supposed to find their boss. Instead, they found Yama and Karasu, alone in the room, standing in front of a screen on the wall. The image shows Mukuro, still wearing his attire, sitting in a dark room in a location unknown to everyone.

“Boss, we’ve returned with the Fujitas just like you wanted,” Dominguez said. “And, we returned in less than one hour… j-just like you wanted!”

“Master Mukuro, we apologize,” Fujita came forward. Her expression is full of fear and she’s ready to brace herself from any punishment. “We were defeated by the leader of Big Hero 6 because we miscalculated his skills.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mukuro said on the screen. “I will overlook your blunder this time. Right now, I received news that Stanwick of the former Ronin Rangers has just returned to San Fransokyo. We will halt all further actions to steal the Izanami blueprint for now until the time is right. For now, I want all Shiragiku members to stay low but keep spreading fear in the city. As for you, my officers… I hope you all remember your assignments for Operation Warlord.”

Every criminal in the room nodded. Mukuro dismissed the Banzai Brothers and the Fujitas, while his two lieutenants remained behind.

“Yama, what news do you have for me?” Mukuro asked.

“We have a new total of fifty criminal gangs enlisted, mostly from Spider-Lily Avenue. We managed to put several dirty cops in the police force to destroy any evidence against us. Also, just early this morning, my men managed to steal the hi-tech equipment from KreiTech and Ishioka Industries just like you ordered. They also informed me that Hiro Hamada is seen visiting the famous Dr. Ishioka’s home.”

“Good. That’s all for now,” Mukuro said, though he doesn’t seem that fully interested what Yama said. “How is our prisoner Dr. Iosama, Karasu?”

“He’s healthy and finally cooperating with us. I’ve placed him in the lower lab to work on the machines for Operation Warlord,” Tadashi (in his new identity) answered. “The Baymax robot is syncing properly with the new personality chip I gave him. And for the Mimicroids, they are only half-way finished.”

“How soon will they be?”

“I give it roughly around the end of this month.”

“And what about… those three mechas, the Akujin?”

“They are finished and ready to be used on your command.”

Mukuro is pleased with this. “We’re on a good schedule. Speaking of which, I won’t be available tomorrow night. I have to be… somewhere.”

Yama, hiding his irritation that Karasu is subtly getting praised, spoke up.

“Boss, remember what you said before that we’re not allowed to attack Big Hero 6 until this guy Stanwick returns to San Fransokyo?” he asked.

Mukuro just stared at the large man, his expression unreadable due to the mask concealing his face.

“What about it?” Mukuro quietly asked.

“I think it’s time we finally act,” Yama demanded, motioning one hand to form a crushing gesture. “We can use the Baymax robot and the Akujin, find their base and destroy all of Big Hero 6 and their allies!”

“… Not yet.”

Yama froze, speechless. “What was that?” he demanded, holding back his fury.

“They have the Izanami blueprint and we need them to lead us the location of the last file for Izanagi.”

“I see…” Yama grumbled.

“You will have your chance,” Mukuro told him coldly. “Yama. Karasu. I’m giving you both full control of this operation. Don’t disappoint me.”

The tv screen went dark. Tadashi noticed Yama’s face tinted red.

“You heard him, Yama,” he said. “Big Hero 6 is still untouchable, and we must obey master. Whether you like it or not.”

“ ** _How dare you talk to me like that!”_** Yama roared and shoved his colleague with one hand.

Tadashi sensed a hostile attack and disappeared in a blink of an eye. Before Yama could find him, he felt a sharp blade of a knife pressed against his neck and heavy weight on his back. Tadashi had climbed on Yama’s back with fox-like speed. He removed the invisible cloak from his suit and glared at Yama.

“Attack me again, and I won’t hesitate to spill your blood,” Tadashi whispered at his ear.

Yama tried to grab him but the latter released a smoke bomb which engulfed the two of them. Yama coughed and tried to grab his rival again but he is already gone.

As he rubbed his neck where the knife had touched it, his eyes move down and they notice a card key lying on the floor. He picks it up and remembers seeing Karasu used it to access the underground labs to work on the robots. He thinks Karasu must have accidentally dropped it.

A thought came to Yama and his mouth formed an evil smile. He will have his revenge no matter what Mukuro says.

Peeking through the narrow space of the door, a mysterious masked person in black was spying on Yama.

* * *

The following day, Hiro and his friends spent the morning patrolling the city together until noon where they’ll part ways. Hiro wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon designing their new suits as well helping his aunt prepare the dinner tonight when his uncle arrives.

“Wasn’t he that guy who shouted at your aunt at Tadashi’s funeral?” Fred asked the young boy genius.

The team are putting on their civilian clothes inside the public bathrooms in San Fransokyo Park. Hiro, Fred, and Wasabi are in the men’s room which they have locked to prevent anyone from walking in to see them.

“That’s him,” Hiro sighed. “He’s my dad’s older brother.”

“What’s he like?” Wasabi questioned as he placed his suit inside a huge duffel bag.

Hiro racked his brain. “You know what Dr. Lebur is like, right? Well, Uncle Aiji is almost like him… but he’s stricter rather than mean.”

“Man, why our uncles gotta be jerks?” Fred muttered, scratching his head. “Hiro, when you get married someday, your own kids will have their own jerk uncle too.”

Hiro laughed at Fred’s bad joke with a flat tone. Yet after what Tadashi has done to Big Hero 6 lately, the kaiju mascot is not far off it.

The team left the restrooms and Hiro hurried to the nearest bus stop. Several minutes later, he got off from the bus and walked in to closed café. His aunt is mopping the floor.

“Hey, Hiro!” she gave him a cheerful smile. “Had a nice Sunday morning with your friends?”

“Yeah, I did,” Hiro grinned, tugging the straps of his backpack which is carrying his suit. “I’m going upstairs and study. Let me know when you need me.”

“I left a couple of tuna sandwiches in the kitchen,” Cass told him as he walked past her. “That will be your lunch.”

“Thanks, Aunt Cass!” Hiro said as he disappeared to the back of the café.

Hiro made his way upstairs to his bedroom, carrying a plate of the sandwiches. On his desk next his computer is Baymax’s battered green chip and the daruma robot given to him by Yasuo. Hiro started up his computer and began to work hard trying to come up a new design of suits for his team. Inspired by Dr. Ishioka’s idea, Hiro tried out different ways to make his microbots to transform into a suit armor. He tested out his ideas by creating 3D models which played on his screen but no matter how durable he makes the theorized microbot-suits, they easily shatter on impact.

Hiro paused his work and ponder again; he was encouraged to combine the microbot technology with another. But how will he make that work.

Sighing, Hiro leaned against his chair and closed his eyes. He opened them again when he noticed how bright his new desktop lamp is. He was about to turn it off but he stopped. He stared at lamp’s light over his schoolbooks and memories of Dr. Ishioka’s presentation flashed before his mind.

Hiro immediately began studying basics of hard light technology and after several hours of research, he might finally have a way to produce a hi-tech armor. He needed to test his theory through further experiments by accessing his 3D printer in the garage as soon as possible.

“Hiro, can you come down and help me?” he heard his aunt called for him. “It’s almost seven o’clock!”

Hiro glanced up to his clock and saw it was only an hour until his uncle arrives. He hurried downstairs and he was immediately given a broom and duster.

“Clean up the best you can,” Aunt Cass told him urgently. “I have to take care of the dinner.”

Hiro began to work but he looked around the room as though it was missing something.

“Aunt Cass, where’s Mochi?” he asked.

“He’s probably sleeping somewhere. If you find him, don’t disturb him.”

Shrugging after that odd answer, Hiro began sweeping around the living room while Aunt Cass hurriedly began chopping onions and button mushrooms. He noticed a bottle of red wine on top of the kitchen table. Is his aunt going to serve that for dinner?

* * *

About half an hour later, Hiro managed to clean the entire living room and the delicious smell of rice and the stew began to waft out from the kitchen area.

“That smells good, Aunt Cass,” he spoke up as he puts away the broom and duster. “What are you making?”

“Hayashi rice,” Cass replied as she checked the sauce of her stew. “It’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

Just then, the doorbell downstairs rang and Cass froze.

“He’s early? No way…” she muttered in shock. “He didn’t say anything about it. It’s too late to think about it now… Hiro, can you get that?”

Hiro slowly descend the stairs and reached the door at the bottom. He carefully opened it and saw a tall, strict-looking Japanese man standing right outside.

It was his uncle.

Aiji Hamada is wearing a dark blazer over a gray plaid button-down shirt. He has his black hair (with tinges of gray) neatly combed. Under one arm, he’s carrying what appears to be a flat, rectangular object wrapped in brown package paper.

“It’s been a while, Hiro,” Uncle Aiji stated with a cool, firm tone. He used one finger to push back his glasses along the ridge of his nose.

“H-hey, uncle,” Hiro greeted him, trying not to let his shyness show. “Come right in. Dinner isn’t ready yet…”

“I’m not surprised to hear that,” Aiji scoffed. “I brought something for you and your aunt, Hiro. I think you will like it.”

Hiro is mildly curious to see what is inside the package but he decided to bring his uncle upstairs first.

“Hello, Aiji!” Cass forced a cheerful smile when she saw him. “I’m so glad you came! Food will be ready soon, so go sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

Aiji looked around to see the living room and made no comment. He then went to sit on a chair while Hiro quickly sat opposite of him.

“Uncle has brought us a gift, Aunt Cass,” Hiro told her.

“Open it now, I’m dying to see,” Cass said as she moved away from the stove to take a quick peek.

Aiji gave Hiro the package and the latter pulled apart the paper; he is holding a rectangular framed photo pf his parents standing outside of building. They both looked young and his mother was heavily pregnant.

“Oh, Mae…!” Cass sighed, staring sadly at her late sister.

“This was taken before Tadashi was born,” Aiji stated. “I thought it was lost after your parents have died but a cousin of mine found it. I thought it would look nice on your wall... if there’s any room left.”

“Thanks, uncle,” Hiro said with a little smile. He sets the picture aside and continue to sit in awkward silence.

“How have you been doing in school?” Aiji asked. “Still top of the class?”

“I’m doing okay in school,” Hiro replied. “I have final exams next week.”

“Just… okay?” Aiji said slowly.

“W-well, I miss a couple of quizzes and assignments before. And—and the stuff they teach at SFIT can get really tough,” Hiro stammered. “But I still get better grades than anyone in my class.”

“Just doing ‘okay’ isn’t good enough for a scholarship student,” Aiji said in a hard tone.

Hiro has forgotten his uncle is a high school teacher and is serious about education and formal schooling on obsessive levels.

“I know your aunt tells me you go out often to hang out with your friends… I think that’s why you’re not paying more attention to your studies. Your friends are distracting you from what’s important. I’ve taught over three hundred students and only less than half of them would rather study than fool around. Your classmates at college are going to do more than ‘okay’ and graduate to pursue good careers while you’ll be left behind.”

Hiro grimaced from this unnecessarily harsh lecture; he wished he could disappear into the couch. He had really hoped his uncle didn’t have to bring up school…

“I think Hiro’s fine at where he is,” Cass spoke up, casting a filthy glare at Aiji’s direction. “Who cares if there are other kids get better scores than him?”

“Oh, of course,” Aiji muttered. “But nephew graduated from high school at thirteen, so I have hopes for him… Though if it were up to me, I would have enrolled him in the school I teach in and he would have gone to a medical college to become a doctor. I don’t see the appeal with making toys like robots…”

“One more word out of you, I’m kicking you before dinner is finished,” Cass warned him.

Aiji glared at her and shifted his glasses again before he became quiet. Hiro wished he could get away from his uncle but he remained frozen in his spot.

It felt like hours has passed when Cass announced the food is ready. Everyone gathered in the dining table and Hiro saw she made some kind of beef stew with white rice on the side.

Hiro took his first bite and discovered how delicious it is. “It’s very good, Aunt Cass!” he complimented. “What’s the name of this stew?”

“Hayashi rice,” Aiji answered before Cass opened her mouth. His stern expression relaxed with a hint of nostalgia and melancholy. “This was my brother’s favorite food…”

“My sister made this for him when they started dating,” Cass told him. “I had to help her make this to impress him.”

Hiro realized why his aunt made an effort to make special dinner; now that she managed to get on Aiji’s good side, his uncle started to show his smile and he began chatting with her, sharing stories of their siblings. Hiro might never know his parents but he knows what it’s like to lose a beloved sibling. He felt his stomach twisted in knots, now thinking of his big brother Tadashi and wondering where he is currently.

“Do you remember the time Tomeo and your sister snuck out of her house the night before their wedding?” Aiji asked. He was trying not to smile so much by covering his mouth with his hand and keeping a stiff posture.

“I still do!” Cass exclaimed. “Those two were like crazy teenagers in love despite both being adults! They wanted to go out to get drunk one last time! My father had to go out and find them. There’s no way he’d have his daughter have a hungover on her wedding day.”

Hiro’s cellphone rang which interrupted the conversation. Hiro excused himself from table to take the call.

“Hello?” he said.

“Hello, Hamada,” a familiar soft voice spoke up. “It’s me, Yasuo.”

Hiro could feel his heart doing gymnastic flips. “Y-Yasuo? How did you get my number?”

“I called Mirin, and she managed to get me your number from her brother Wasabi since he happens to be one of your close friends.”

“Oh, o-okay,” Hiro said. He kept his voice low while his aunt and uncle wait for him to finish. “So, why are you calling me?”

“I found your notebook in my dad’s basement lab,” Yasuo replied.

“Ah! I must have accidentally left it behind then.”

“I can come over to your house and bring it to you. I know where you live, so is eight thirty a good time for you?”

Hiro could feel his heart pounding faster. “Y-yeah!”

“Then I’ll see you then.”

“Alright, it’s a date, sweetie!”

After a quick nano-second, Hiro realized what he just said and he nearly shrieked in horror. There was only awkward silence in Yasuo’s end before the line went dead. Hiro wished he could burst into flames into that spot.

“Hiro, who was that?” Aunt Cass asked him.

“It’s Yasuo, that boy who came to the café one time,” Hiro said, blushing. “He’ll be coming over to return my notebook I left behind at his home…”

“Wait, Yasuo?” Uncle Aiji inquired. “As in, Yasuo Ishioka, the son of Dr. Ishioka?”

“You know him?” Hiro asked.

“He’s a student of mine, and I also know his father,” Aiji replied. “How did you meet him?”

“We met during a lunch out,” Hiro replied. “I also met Dr. Ishioka. He’s really smart and he showed me his lab when I went to his home!”

Aiji’s face suddenly darkened. “Hiro, I want you to stay away from that boy Yasuo.”

The teen prodigy was taken aback. “What, why?”

“A couple months before he moved to San Fransokyo, his father told me that he attacked a student at his last school. He was carrying a knife during that time. The student survived with only shallow wound, but it earned Yasuo a bad reputation.”

Hiro couldn’t believe what he just heard; every time he has seen and interacted with Yasuo, the latter doesn’t behaved like a disturbed individual and had preferred either to be kept alone or went along with someone’s whims if bullied. Then again, it explains why Ishioka was acting oddly cold to his own son.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Hiro said slowly. “Yasuo has some health problems, he doesn’t seem like the type to hurt someone…”

“People are not what they seem, Hiro,” Aiji told him. “I don’t want you to visit Dr. Ishioka anymore.”

“What?!” Hiro cried angrily. “Okay, I understand why you don’t want me to see Yasuo, but you can’t tell me to do the same for Ishioka! He’s a smart whose inventions inspire and help people! We both like to build machines and he wants me to work for my company after I graduate from college!”

“Hiro, that’s wonderful!” Cass exclaimed.

“No!” Aiji yelled, standing up. “I don’t care he’s a genius. There’s nothing good about the Ishioka family, all they do is bring misery and misfortune.”

“You don’t know him!” Hiro found himself yelling at him too. “He happens to be dad’s old best friend!”

“I knew that… because I was the one when I introduced them together many years ago,” Aiji said coldly. “And I’m not going to repeat the same mistake again.”

Hiro was shaking. _“At least he’s a better father than my own dad whom I never met!”_ he spat out before running out of the living room. Aiji froze, his face went pale and his eyes widen behind his glasses.

“Hiro, wait!”

Aunt Cass shouted him to stop but Hiro kept running down the stairs and escaped into the dark.

* * *

He ran to the back until he made it to the garage, and closed it behind him. He reached for the red couch in corner and plopped on top of it. He lay down on his side and curled into a fetal position. He didn’t cry but he was still angry that his uncle said those mean things about his mentor and Yasuo. He felt his stomach grumbling and he remembered he hasn’t finished his dinner yet, but he didn’t feel like coming back inside the house yet.

He heard the garage door open and sensed Aunt Cass approaching him.

“Hiro?” she called out to him gently. She sat down next to him. “Your uncle left a few minutes ago. He apologized for his behavior…”

Hiro was pulled into a hug and he could feel his aunt’s warm around him.

“Hiro, it’s time you know the truth why your uncle hated me for a long time,” she said quietly. She pulled away and took a deep breath. “It’s because… I don’t want him to be raised by the brother of the man who abandoned his kids.”

“Abandoned?” Hiro was confused. “W-what do you mean? Dad… abandoned me and Tadashi?”

Cass was quiet, her expression pained.

“Aunt Cass, what are you talking about?” Hiro demanded. “Tadashi told me a long time ago, that dad left us in your care so he can visit relatives!”

“Tadashi only told you that because he didn’t want you to know the truth,” Cass explained. “After my sister died, your father would go on mysterious trips, leaving you and Tadashi alone in the apartment for days with barely enough food to survive.”

She paused to take a deep breath and her eyes was brimming with tears.

“One day, he didn’t return after a few weeks and Tadashi was forced to take the both of you to my home. You two were so sick… And then I learned that your father had died in a bus accident and his body was never recovered. Your uncle wanted to adopt you and Tadashi, but I decided to raise you two instead. Because you came to me, not to him… And a part of me felt I was doing it out of spite because the man who married my sister neglected his own children!”

She turned to Hiro and she looked several years older.

“I don’t even care that your uncle calls me an unfit foster parent because I’m single and immature! Your father may be a good doctor, but he didn’t love you enough to raise you and your brother. I did, for more than ten years! You and Tadashi are MY children… And yet… I wasn’t there to stop Tadashi that night of the fire. Twice I failed to save my family…”

It was Hiro’s turn to hug Aunt Cass and two embraced each other, never letting ago.

“Aunt Cass, you didn’t anything wrong and my uncle is wrong about you,” he whispered to her. “I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

Cass broke the hug and brushed Hiro’s messy hair with affection. She tried to smile but she became sad again.

“Hiro, you asked before where Mochi is,” she began quietly. “He passed away early this morning. I found him lying dead in my bedroom.”

“Mochi’s dead?” Hiro gasped. He couldn’t want to believe their calico pet, affectionate and always sleepy, is gone. He remembered seeing the cat alive the other day. “Aunt Cass, I’m so sorry… I didn’t know!”

“It’s alright, he was very old but he led a good life,” Cass sniffed, wiping away her tears. “His body is in the garden right now, I’ll bury him soon.”

Hiro held her hand and gave it a comforting rub. “I love you, Aunt Cass,” he said.

“I love you too, Hiro,” she replied with a smile. “You and Tadashi are the best things that happen to me. Please live a long and happy life for me.”

Hiro stared at her, the woman who gave him so much love for many years; he couldn’t keep his superhero secret from her and letting her worry when her nephew will be coming home safe.

“There’s something I have to tell you, Aunt Cass,” he spoke after thinking carefully what to say. “Just don’t get mad or freaked out…”

“Hiro, you’re like a mad scientist who build a lot crazy inventions using your wildest imaginations,” Cass chuckled. “There’s nothing to be freaked out anymore.”

Suddenly, the garage door was blasted apart without warning. Wood parts flew everywhere.

Hiro and his aunt saw a huge, terrifying robot in dark armor standing in the destroyed entrance. Its red eyes glowed dangerously.

“Baymax, what are you doing here?!” Hiro demanded, recognizing the robot.

Aunt Cass’ eyes went wide with shock and confusion. “That’s Baymax? … Hiro, what is going on?”

Baymax shot a blast at their direction. Hiro had to push his aunt out of the way as dust and debris fly above them. Hiro had to reach for his neurotransmitter and microbots.

Before he could act, he saw Aunt Cass being lifted above him. Baymax had grabbed her and is taking her away.

 ** _“NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!”_** Hiro screamed. His mind is racing in a frantic mess; why would Shiragiku want to kidnap his aunt?

 _“Hiro, forget about me! Just run!”_ Cass yelled, trapped in the strong grip of the robot.

Baymax, like a mindless slave, shot another blast at the ceiling which buried Hiro. Cass shrieked, scared for nephew more than her own safety. Wings sprouted from Baymax’s back and he flew away. Hiro emerged from the wreckage to see his aunt getting away from him.

 ** _“AUNT CASS!!”_** Hiro screamed after them. **_“BRING HER BACK, BAYMAX!”_**

But since his robot is still under Shiragiku’s control, Hiro decided it’s time save both the people he loved. He grabbed his cellphone and contacted his friends.

He hoped he won't be too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry for ending this with a cliffhanger, but I'm so excited because I can't wait to write the next chapter which will mark the end of Act 2.  
> Will Hiro and his friends rescue Aunt Cass in time and save Baymax?))


	15. Gunsmith, Whiplash, and Brute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and has friends track down to the location where Aunt Cass is held hostage, and a tough battle against new robots takes place.

**Chapter 14**

Everything had went too fast for Cass; one moment she was having a conversation with her nephew in their garage, and the next moment she was being forcibly taken from her home and neighborhood by a huge robot.

 _A huge, FLYING robot,_ she mentally corrected herself, despite how terrified she is of her current situation. She was sitting on a chair, tied up and gagged.

Right now, she’s inside a room of an unknown building with a lone guard wearing a Kabuki mask is watching her. She doesn’t know where she is but she could tell from the faint police sirens that whoever has captured her is now cornered. The room she’s trapped in is filled with shelves of old, dusty boxes and all kinds of Japanese antiques.

Cass tried to gather her thoughts and recalled how Hiro called the mysterious robot ‘Baymax’. She was confused because she knows Baymax resembled more of walking marshmallow instead of a mecha from hell. Then again, she hasn’t seen the caregiver robot for a while now and Hiro kept telling her that Baymax is staying at the lab.

Was her nephew hiding things from her? It would explain why he kept going out with his friends and then coming home looked exhausted. It hurts her brain thinking of this. She hopes the police would save her soon. She had recognized the criminals who put her into the room are associated with Shiragiku and she is frightened for her life.

 _At least they didn’t take Hiro too,_ she thought. The recent death of her only beloved pet shocked her and she couldn’t bear to think of something similar happened to her nephew…

* * *

Several police cars gathered vigilantly outside the San Fransokyo Cultural Center while a TV news reporter talked about the hostage situation taking place. A couple masked Yokai Mooks of Shiragiku were standing behind the glass doors, each holding their weapons; they were guarding the entrance to make sure no cops will enter.

Yama’s voice is heard from the inside through a loud megaphone as he spoke to the police, _“I am not interested in ransom! I want the blood of Big Hero 6! If the woman were to survive, I want those so-called superheroes to come save her themselves and no one else!”_

At that very moment, a blue chem-ball was thrown towards the entrance and it releases a thick cloud of blue smoke. The two Yokai Mooks were caught off-guard and before they could react they were taken out by a speeding flash of yellow.

As their bodies fell, Hiro and the rest of Big Hero 6 burst inside the cultural enter. The police outside the building decided to let the young superheroes handle this. The main lobby is dark and strangely empty without anyone else to meet them.

“Yama, we are here!” Hiro angrily called out. “Where is she?!”

A large shadow walked up to a balcony on the second floor. Yama is wearing a form-fitting bodysuit adorned with tough pads, boots and gloves, and a wrestler-like mask with oni designs.

“You’ll have her soon,” Yama said with a sneer, looking down at the team. “She’ll join you right after I send you to Hell!”

Hiro growled, _“Don’t you dare lay a hand on her, Yama!”_

Gogo noticed someone hiding behind a pillar, aiming a gun towards Hiro. The person fired and Gogo pulled Hiro out of the way in time. The projectile hit the wall and covered everything in ice on impact.

Everyone else saw three humanoid mechas appear from the shadows. The one tried to shoot Hiro is a robot wearing a dark visor and has two arms, each holding different kind of hi-tech guns.

The second robot is slender and has a feminine appearance. It is carrying a chain-whip that seems to be glowing red with some kind energy.

The last robot towers over the first two and its hulk-like body covered in thick armor that resembles large muscles and its fists are extremely large.

“Who are these guys?” Wasabi asked.

“Their names are Gunsmith, Whiplash, and Brute,” Yama explained, his haughty smile never leaving off his face. “They make up as the Akujin.”

“They’re still robots, and that means we don’t have to hold anything back!” Fred stepped forward. “It’s Fred Time!”

Fred bounded forward and was about to land smack down on the robot trio when Gunsmith shot two projectiles which blasted Fred away.

Fred fell to the side, unharmed, though the front of his Kaiju suit now has two scorch marks still sizzling.

Hiro ordered his teammates to split up and try to take on Akujin while he goes after Yama. Wasabi helped Fred up as they team together to try to fight Brute. Fred breathes a black smoke to cover Brute’s face and as soon he is distracted, the former climbed up the robot’s back and grabbed its beefy arms.

“Now, Wasabi!” Fred yelled.

Wasabi leaped forward and tried to slash Brute’s armor. To his shock and dismay, the attack did little damage. Brute managed to free itself from Fred’s grip and toss him aside. It grabbed Wasabi’s wrist and crushed the laser plasma gauntlet. Wasabi could feel his wrist getting crushed too and he used leg to kick Brute’s face. The robot stumbled backwards, released the green-clad hero. Wasabi saw he only has one laser blade left and he realized how dire the situation is.

Honey kept dodging out of the bullet projectiles shot by Gunsmith. The guns from the upper pair of arms shoot regular energy blasts, while the ones from the lower pair only shoot things to hinder her, one for ice and the other that acts like a sniper.

Honey ducked behind a pillar, and took out three chem-balls. She tossed them at Gunsmith but the robot shot all three of them with expert ease. It caused a small explosion which drove Honey back into her hiding spot.

Gogo was about to go and assist Honey when she suddenly tripped. She found a chain-whip had caught and wrapped itself around both her legs. She looked up to see Whiplash activated the whip to emit electrical sparks which caused Gogo to scream in pain. Then Whiplash, using an immense strength despite her small figure, began twirling Gogo’s body around rapidly and then smashing her against a wall.

“Ahahaha! You fools! These are not ordinary robots I used before!” Yama laughed. “These are mechas controlled by my own men’s thoughts—their fighting style are smarter on human level!”

Hiro used his microbots to lift himself to the balcony and faced his foe. He used the microbots to form into a fist and sent it hitting Yama’s face. The man was knocked back several feet but he remain firmly standing.

“You may talk big and your robots are big, Yama, but you’re no fighter,” Hiro told him.

“Foolish boy,” Yama snarled, wiping blood from the corner of his lip. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Yama roared and began rushing towards Hiro, with surprising speed despite his fat body. Yama soon headbutted Hiro which caused him to twirl backwards. Hiro saw his visor has gotten cracks and before he could register what happened, Yama’s meaty grip threw him off the balcony and he landed on a floor.

Hiro couldn’t believe his enemy has so much strength and he realized he underestimated him so much he has forgotten Yama is the leader of a criminal gang, as well as a member of Mukuro’s organization.

Hiro looked up to see Yama jumping out from the balcony to land right on top of him… JUST TO CRUSH HIM UNDER HIS HEAVY WEIGHT.

Rather than just rolling away, Hiro summoned the microbots to form a shield to protect himself. Yama crashed on top of the bots but his fall still crushed Hiro. The latter screamed; he felt like a train has smashed into his body.

* * *

Wasabi and Fred found themselves in a deserted area, trying to figure out how to take out Brute.

“That thing is built like a tank! OR TEN TANKS!” Fred cried, feeling his head getting light from the blows he received. “My flamethrower couldn’t even burn him!”

“I may have an idea how to take it down, but it’s pretty risky,” Wasabi said. He whispered the plan to Fred.

Soon, Brute came smashing through a wall, looking for the two heroes. He heard a whistle and saw Fred jumping up a flight of stairs to the next floor.

“Come and get me, chrome dome!” Fred taunted him.

Brute began to chase Fred, ramping through obstacles like paper in his path. Fred kept on running along the landing, making sure Brute is close to the rails. Brute is close to grabbing the kaiju mascot when Wasabi burst out of a door, crouching to the floor. He used his plasma laser to slice through Brute’s thick leg, slicing it cleanly.

Brute stumbled forward and began skidding forward too fast. Fred leaped up and hang on the chandelier hanging above just in time as Brute broke through the rails and landed on the ground with a heavy crash. Wasabi leaped down and slashed through the robot’s head with his laser, the blade breaking down on impact.

Honey tried to think of a new strategy as she hid behind a counter. She sensed Gunsmith approaching her. She took out another chem-ball and jumped out from her hiding place just in time as Gunsmith’s bullet blasted it to pieces.

Gunsmith fired an ice blast at Honey, which froze her lower half to keep her from escaping. Honey, keeping her head cool, tossed the chem-ball. The capsule released a stick concoction which blinded Gunsmith’s specs. In retalion, Gunsmith began firing blindly, shooting ice and energy blasts everywhere.

Honey threw another chem-ball that completely covered Gunsmith in a large pink dome. The bullets bounced back inside the dome and blasted away the robot instead.

Whiplash wrapped its chain around Honey and dragged her to the floor. Honey could feel the chain tighten around her neck.

“Your friends may defeat my comrades,” Whiplash said in a robotic voice. “But I shall avenge their deaths by killing you.”

Suddenly, a yellow maglev disc knocked Whiplash’s head.

“Hey, don’t forget about me!” Gogo snarled. Her armor is badly damaged but she’s still standing.

Whiplash swing Honey around in circles before throwing her at Gogo. Gogo quickly caught her friend and saw the robot lashing its electrical whip around, striking forward and sending sparks.

Gogo skated out of Whiplash’s attacks and grabbed the chain. She ignored the hot electricity coursing through her body. With sheer determination, she pulled Whiplash towards her and cut off the robot’s arms with the discs from her feet.

Whiplash, or whoever is controlling her, is weaponless and frightened. It tried to run away but Gogo tossed another disc and it sliced through Whiplash’s neck, decapitating the mecha.

Honey stared at how Gogo ruthlessly destroyed their enemy, feeling both thrilled and hot about it. Without thinking, she pulled Gogo into a kiss.

Fred and Wasabi, stood together, saw their teammates smooching and their jaws dropped. Even Fred lifted up his mask to get a closer look.

“S-sorry, it was the heat of the moment,” Honey stammered after she immediately broke off the kiss. “Um, you okay…?”

Gogo didn’t say anything, but she was blushing and wearing a blanked out expression.

Everyone heard loud screaming and crashing noises and they turned to see Yama was punching and throwing Hiro around. Their leader’s helmet has fallen off and his face is covered in cuts and bruises.

 _“HIRO!!”_ The four friends tried to rush to stop Yama, but the large criminal held up Hiro with his hand around his neck.

“Come any closer and I will break this boy’s neck!” Yama shouted.

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Hiro weakly struggled to pull Yama’s fat fingers away.

“G-get him, guys!” he choked out. “Stop him and save my aunt!”

“I’m impressed that you meddling kids defeated the Akujin,” Yama said. He is sweating nervously since he didn’t expect the new robots to go down that quickly. “But I still have one last trump card.”

The glass ceiling above them shattered as another robot landed in the middle of the room, standing between Big Hero 6 and Yama.

It is Baymax.

“I feel so sorry for you, Zero,” Yama chuckled sinisterly at Hiro’s ear. “You and your friends are going to die from your own robot.”

He tosses Hiro away and Hiro skidded along the floor. He then hears Yama issued an order to Baymax.

“Kill the brat.”

Hiro glanced up to see Baymax holding up his hand cannon. Gogo pushed Baymax’s arm away as the blast missed Hiro.

“Hiro, run!” Gogo yelled before she was thrown aside by Baymax.

Baymax began to come after Hiro slowly in menacing silence, his red eyes glowed like an unstoppable killer.

Hiro tried to get up but his body was in too much pain. He looked for his helmet holding the neurotransmitter for the microbots. He found it lying across the room and crawled towards it. His friends are doing their best to stop Baymax from reaching Hiro, either striking him with their attacks or pleading with him. Baymax continued to ignore them and as he continued blasting energy projectiles at Hiro.

“Baymax, stop! Hiro is your best buddy!” Fred begged as he tried to pull Baymax back.

Wasabi and Gogo pushed their bodies against Baymax as Honey desperately tried to create sticky concoctions to slow the down the robot.

Hiro managed to grab the neurotransmitter and placed it to his head just in time as Baymax threw his friends off him. Hiro summoned his microbots which all grabbed Baymax, pulling him back. Baymax struggled to free himself.

Hiro ran up to Baymax’s access port and hurriedly opened it to remove the chip that’s controlling his robot friend. To his shock, there are two cartridge chips—one white and one blue.

This took him off guard that Baymax broke a hand free and grabbed Hiro’s head, trying to crush it into a pulp.

“Baymax… !” Hiro cried.

He could see his friends lying on the floor, weakened, and Yama grinning in triumph. He raised a hand towards Baymax’s open port, painfully reaching to pull out one of the chips.

“COME ON, BUDDY!” Hiro grunted despite the heavy pressure of Baymax’s grip. “Y-You’re not part of Shiragiku! You belonged to Big Hero 6! And you’re… YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND!”

The grip momentarily paused. Baymax’s red eyes flickered. “… Friend…?”

Hiro finally grabbed the white chip and threw it away, hoping it was the right one.

With the single blue chip now inside his port, Baymax’s grip slackened and he dropped Hiro. His eyes returned to normal and he began to scan his surroundings. He saw Hiro standing anxiously before him and he slowly recognized him…

“Hiro,” he began softly in his familiar tone. “I apologize for any distress I’ve caused.”

Hiro released the microbots and he threw himself on Baymax, wrapping his arms around his neck tight. Baymax return the hug, glad to be reunited with his friend as well.

“Welcome back, buddy,” Hiro mumbled happily as tears roll down his face.

Hiro’s friends slowly got up and was relieved Hiro was safe. However, Yama was screaming in anger.

“That’s impossible! What did you do to my robot?!” he demanded.

Baymax broke and he turned to face Yama. His face was still expressionless but when he spoke, there was a hint of tranquil fury in his voice.

“You misused my programmed and used me to attack my friends,” Baymax said. “I will not forgive you.”

Hiro was surprised to see Baymax was about to fire his hand canon at Yama, who started to back away in fear.

“Baymax, stop!” Hiro shouted, jumping in front of him with his arms stretched out. “He’s not worth it! And besides, he still got Aunt Cass somewhere!”

Baymax lowered his weapon, now shocked about what he tried to do. This was against his caregiving programming.

Just as he was thinking of this, Brute—with its head mangled—came running and tackled Baymax. Everyone watched as the two huge robots duke it out.

“That thing is still alive?!” Wasabi shouted. "It's like the Terminator!"

“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” Fred cheered enthusiastically at the epic robot fight before him.

“Freddie, this is serious!” Honey said in exasperation.

While everyone is distracted, Yama ran away and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

“It’s me!” he grunted. “We lost! Burn the place down!”

He suddenly tripped over something and he crashed to the floor. He looked up and saw Karasu standing above him. His eyes are filled with fury.

“K-Karasu, I’m so glad you’re here!” Yama gasped. “We can still take care of these punks…”

“Shut up,” Tadashi said coldly, forcing Yama up to his feet. “I’m bringing you back to the base. … Mukuro is not pleased about what you just did.”

The mook who was guarding Cass has just listened to Yama’s orders on his walkie-talkie. He gave Cass a farewell gesture before leaving the room, locking the door so she won’t escape.

Back in the main lobby, Baymax finally incapacitated Brute with a swift knife hand. Hiro and the team saw Tadashi opening a portal so he and Yama could make their escape.

“Stop!” Hiro called out.

Tadashi kicked Yama into the portal and turned to his brother and former friends.

“Don’t bother chasing us now, Hiro,” he said. “There’s still someone here who needs your help. You have ten minutes to find her before the fire gets her.”

“W-what?” Hiro stared in shock. Tadashi disappeared into the portal which then collapsed.

The fire alarm then went off, and Hiro could smell smoke.

“We have to find Aunt Cass!” he screamed. “Baymax, do you know where she is?”

Baymax’s sensor scan lit up as he searched the building.

“I have found her.”

* * *

Cass’s eyes widen with fear as flames began to enter into the room. Soon the air is filled with smoke and she started coughed. This isn’t the way she wants to die. She struggled to free herself from her bindings but it was all in vain.

The fire quickly spread and grew higher. Cass regretfully accepts her death… She jumped when the door blasted open and saw Baymax stepping into the room. Thinking that he’s still dangerous, she screamed through her gag until Hiro, in a purple and black super suit and helmet, came in as well.

“Aunt Cass, it’s me! We’re getting you out of here!” he shouted as he removed her gag.

“Hiro, I demand some answers!” Cass scolded him. “You’re in big trouble, young man!”

“Hiro, there are explosives located around this building,” Baymax said. “We have to leave soon…”

“I know, I know!” Hiro said impatiently. He looked at his aunt after he freed her. “Aunt Cass, I’m sorry that you had to be involved in this. I promise to tell you everything…”

They heard a loud cracking sound above them. Baymax shielded them just as the ceiling collapsed.

* * *

Meanwhile, the others has escaped from the burning cultural center and they wait for Hiro and Baymax to appear. The Yokai Mooks were saved from the fire as well and were arrested.

An explosion broke out inside the building and then a familiar robot came flying out through the roof, carrying two people.

Baymax landed safely on the street and half-unconscious Aunt Cass. She was taken under the care by the paramedics. Hiro didn’t want to let her go but he watched her being put into an ambulance before he and Big Hero 6 departed from the scene.

Tonight felt like a victory for the superhero team, but they knew they still have a long way to defeat Shiragiku.

* * *

At the lair of the criminal organization, everyone knew Yama has messed up. In the main room, all the top officers were there to see what punishment will be given out. On the TV screen, Mukuro is drumming his fingers and he is barely seen from the darkness but everyone could see he was furious.

Yama has changed into his suit and he was standing before everyone. He puts on strong face to show he is not afraid.

“I was wondering why Karasu informed me that the Akujin and the Baymax robot went missing a few hours ago,” Mukuro began. “I thought our mysterious traitor in organization must have stolen them, but I didn’t realize it was you. Not only you took them without permission, you went ahead to use them exact your petty revenge against Big Hero 6… which I had forbid you from doing so.”

“Who cares if I disobeyed you?” Yama grumbled. “At least I did something!”

“Be quiet, you disgusting swine,” Mukuro snarled and slammed his hand down on his table. Everyone in the room jumped in fear, including Yama. “You nearly got captured by those kids, who would have forced you give away our location and have my schemes ruined. Not to mention, you have three of my new machines destroyed... However, I won’t kill you.”

“R-really?” Yama said, flabbergasted.

“You are too important and I still have use for you. But I will punish you and your accomplices for your reckless actions… Karasu, you know what to do.”

Tadashi pulled out a tonfa and the blade is coated with plasma laser similar to the technology Wasabi used for his weapon. In a blur, Tadashi appeared behind Yama and grabbed his right arm…

Something swung down fast and there was red.

Yama shrieked in agony as he stumbled backwards against the meeting table; he was clutching a bloody stump where his right hand used to be. The other officers held back their horror and disgust. Tadashi nonchalantly dropped Yama’s dismembered hand to the garbage bin near the door.

“Banzai Brothers, take Yama to the medical bay,” Mukuro ordered calmly. “I will have Dr. Iosama prepare a new hand for him. Everyone else can leave… except you, Karasu. I need to speak with you.”

Yama shouted foul curses between his wails but he allowed the two bombers to take him away. The Fujitas were glad to leave as well. Tadashu put away his weapon and looked at his leader, waiting for him to speak.

“Yama may have ruined our weapons for future use against Big Hero 6, but Operation Warlord is still going. We’ll have to think of substitutes to distract those kids when we use the Mimicroids,” Mukuro said. “Karasu, has the Baymax robot really returned to Hiro Hamada?”

“Yes, it appears Baymax has overridden our programs to revert back to his original self,” Tadashi replied. “I can’t explain why.”

“ _You_ can’t explain?” Mukuro asked, incredulous.

“I may have created the robot and his unique personality,” Tadashi explains, “but he has grown more intelligent and his bond with the patient transcend beyond his program.”

“It’s just a robot,” Mukuro scoffed. “Machines can’t experience love.”

Tadashi said nothing more on the subject.

“Have you found our traitor yet?” Mukuro demanded. “We can’t let them go free much longer.”

“I haven’t found anyone suspicious in our organization, master,” Tadashi answered. “I have a suspicion that Mr. Sparkles may have told you a lie and make you paranoid of a person who probably doesn’t exist.”

Mukuro listened to this and he sighed.

“You may be right, Karasu. Keep an out, still. If you find someone ready to cause trouble, eliminate them without hesitation.”

“Yes, sir.”

The screen went blank and Tadashi left, unaware he is being watched by a dark figure.

* * *

When Hiro returned home, he changed out of his damaged suit and put it into another hiding place since half of the garage was destroyed. He removed Baymax’s armor and was glad Shiragiku didn’t destroy his white vinyl shell. Hiro washed the ash and dirt from his hair and face, and allowed Baymax to treat his wounds. It felt everything was back to normal but there was some questions that needed to be answered.

“Baymax, your original medical chip was smashed,” Hiro said as he sat on the bed while Baymax took care of him. “I don’t think it will work for you again…”

“It’s alright, Hiro,” Baymax said. “Before Mr. Sparkles removed my chip, I had my original programming transferred to the new fighting chip you gave me. Unfortunately, Shiragiku had it removed as well which explains why I could not be myself for a while.”

“You were able to stop before,” Hiro stated.

“I think it’s because somewhere, I was still able to recognize your distress. I am programmed to respond to those who needed my help.”

“And the blue chip inside your access port? What is it…?”

“For some reason, it contained my original program. Someone must have copied from the fighting chip and transfer it there.”

At these words, Hiro realized something. “Baymax! When Shiragiku took you, you must have known where their secret base is, right?”

“I cannot tell you, I don’t know where I was,” Baymax said. “All I remember that I was in a laboratory underground.”

“An underground laboratory,” Hiro muttered. “At least we got something… Hang on, you’ve scanned Tadashi before. You can show us where he is… and he’ll lead us to Shiragiku!”

“I’m sorry, Hiro,” Baymax apologized. “All my previous scans of Tadashi has been wiped out.”

“What?” Hiro couldn’t believe it. “But how…?! No, I was so close to find him!” Hiro hit his fist on his bed in anguish. He paused as his fingers grabbed the sheets. “Baymax… did Tadashi ever told you why he hates me?”

Baymax cocked his head on the side. “Tadashi never discussed his personal feelings about you. He was rather adamant that no harm comes to you for some reason…”

Hiro mumbled, “It’s probably because he didn’t feel like killing me yet. That jerk…”

Melancholy weighted down on his back. He felt so weak and hurt all over. He hugged Baymax’s balloon body. The warmth softness welcomed him.

“Everything was a mess when Shiragiku took you, buddy. I fell apart... I missed you. And I missed Tadashi as well.”

“Hiro, I will never leave you forever. You are both my patient and my friend. And we will bring Tadashi back together.”

Hiro smiled into the hug.

* * *

After a few minutes, he and Baymax got ready to visit Aunt Cass in the hospital. Hiro packed Cass’ clothes and a few other items into a bag, and the two were able to catch a late bus. They arrived at the hospital and made their way to the room where Cass is resting.

“How is she?” Hiro asked the doctor, fidgeting nervously.

“Your aunt is quite lucky,” the docter said. “No broken bones or any serious injury despite small bruises. She might be able to go home tomorrow.”

Hiro sighed with relief.

“What happened to your face? Were you in some bad accident? Let me check you for injuries.”

“I’m alright, doc. I have my own robotic nurse to take care of me.”

The doctor shrugged and left Hiro and his curious-looking robot alone to be with the woman.

Cass is lying on the hospital bed, her eyes closed and chest rising slowly. She looked tired but unharmed from earlier night’s incidents. She sensed someone and she opened her eyes to see Hiro sitting next to her bed. She even saw Baymax next to him as well.

“Hiro…!” Aunt Cass cried quietly and reached a hand to touch his face. “What happened? There was a fire, and you were wearing a weird suit… Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay, Auntie,” Hiro replied, his hand touching hers. He inhaled deeply. “It’s time I owe you the truth about what I’ve been doing for nearly two years.”

As Hiro revealed his biggest secret to her, Cass’ expression went from curiosity to mild upset. She did not speak until Hiro is finished.

“So, Big Hero 6… was just you and your friends?” she slowly asked. “And you’ve been doing this ever since Tadashi’s death.”

“Yeah,” Hiro nodded. “I didn’t tell you about this before because I didn’t want to worry you or get you in trouble because of me. I’m sorry for hiding the truth for so long. I know it’s going to be dangerous but I wanted to continue helping people, Aunt Cass. It’s what Tadashi would have wanted…”

Cass was reluctant but she understood. She placed a hand on Hiro’s shoulder.

“If you’re so sure about this, then I won’t stop you from doing this,” she said. “But you have to promise that you have to save yourself first before you save the world. You’ve grown up, Hiro, but don’t get ahead of yourself and leave me worried when you’ll be coming home.” She gave her nephew a warm, proud smile. “I always knew you were special ever since you were very little. Tadashi has always seen the best of you, and he would have been proud of you if he has seen you today…”

Hiro ignore the painful tug in his chest. He hasn’t told his aunt about Tadashi being alive and part of Shiragiku yet; she was still recovering and getting used to the knowledge of her youngest nephew’s secret identity. He doesn’t want to see her get her heart broken and decides to take that secret to the grave.

Hiro rummaged through the bag and pulled out a couple of photos for her to look at.

“I brought these,” he said. “Something to make you feel better.”

Aunt Cass took the photos and her smile couldn’t get any bigger. In one picture was her and her nephews standing together happily in their neighborhood; Tadashi was making a bunny ears hand gesture behind Hiro’s head. The second picture was taken in the same neighborhood and it has her cat Mochi riding rocket boots.

Cass chuckled at these beautiful pictures and she chatted about the treasured memories that came with it. As she and Hiro exchanged stories, Baymax waddled over to the window and stared out the hospital.

He was quiet the entire time and he kept staring out into the night sky, silently wondering if his creator is sleeping, undisturbed by nightmares, at this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Baymax finally returns! Thus Act 2 of drama and angst ends.))


	16. Cherry Blossom Promises, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro deals with two people who have problems and dark pasts.

**Chapter 15**

The Monday morning after the last night's battle felt like a completely normal day. After Hiro woke up, he immediately called his aunt who is still at the hospital.

“I’ll be discharged in a few hours,” Aunt Cass told him. She jokingly added, “I can’t wait to leave, the food here is terrible.”

Hiro laughed as well. Behind him, Baymax is watching and listening to Hiro talking on the phone.

“Do you want me and Baymax to pick you up?” Hiro asked.

“No need, I already called someone else. Besides, don’t you have school today?”

“Yeah. I’ll have Baymax stay home to help you around the house… and what’s left of the garage.”

“Alright. I also need to cremate Mochi’s body as soon as possible…” she sighed sadly from the other end.

“Do you want me to help you set up a small shrine for Mochi?” Hiro asked kindly. “We can put it in the living room.”

There was an uplifting tone in Cass’ voice. “Hey, that’s not a bad idea. I would love that, a kitty shrine… Thank you, Hiro.”

Hiro bid her a short good-bye and hurried to get ready for school. Before he left, he gave Baymax some last minute instructions.

“Take care of Aunt Cass,” he said. “I’ll come straight home after school. Don’t forget to recharge yourself.”

“I’ll wait for you then,” Baymax said. “Hiro, what did you mean set up a small shrine for Mochi?”

“Oh, right… You didn’t know yet.” Hiro looked at him. “Mochi passed away yesterday.”

“I am sorry about his death,” Baymax said after a brief pause. Despite the robot having a lack of human expressions, Hiro knows how much the caregiver robot is upset of losing a precious pet he adored so much. “Mochi had serious health complications which worsened due his old age. I shall miss him…”

“It’s okay, buddy.” Hiro checked his time and saw he’s almost late for his bus. “I have to get moving. Remember, make sure to watch Aunt Cass for me.”

* * *

Hiro left his home. He saw his bus has arrived too early and he was about to recklessly run across the street when he heard a car honk. He turned just in time to see a shiny, black car with dark-tinted glass skidding to a stop right in front of him. To prevent himself from being hit, Hiro jump back and clumsily drop his backpack, leading to his books accidentally spilled out. To make matters worse for Hiro, his bus has already left.

“Dangit!” Hiro smacked his head for his idiocy and waited for a yelling from the driver. To his surprise, he heard a familiar soft voice from the backseat of the car.

“Hamada!” Yasuo Ishioka called out when he stepped out of the car. His face was pale in panic. “Oh my god, did you get hit?!”

“N-no, I’m okay!” Hiro stammered, blushing and hastily picking up his books. He could sense nearby onlookers watching him, which only made his face burn more with embarrassment.

Hiro noticed Yasuo is dressed in his private school uniform and realized he was on his way to his high school. Before he could apologize, Yasuo helped put the books back in his bag.

“How about I give you a lift to your college?” Yasuo asked. “I’ll make it up for nearly hitting you…” Then he added in a low voice, “And my dad will kill me if he finds out I almost killed his protégé.”

“I could use a lift at this moment,” Hiro sighed gratefully. He did heard Yasuo’s last sentence and he felt a little uncomfortable.”

Hiro climbed into the backseat with Yasuo and discovered there was no one driving the car.

“Where’s the driver?” Hiro asked in panic.

“Oh, this is one of the new robot-controlled vehicles created by my father,” Yasuo answered as he opened his palmtop computer. He resumed to his usual anti-social, indifferent behavior. “This is just a prototype. Krei Tech will finish the final versions next year, or sooner. The cars would assist those who have disabilities or weak with age which made them unable to drive. Each vehicle would have sensors, cameras and lasers that could avoid collisions as well as drive a certain, safe speed.”

“I think Google created something like this before,” Hiro said thoughtfully.

Hiro could have sworn he saw the corner of Yasuo’s twitched into a tiny smile, but when he looked again Yasuo’s face remained frozen with disinterest.

The robot-controlled car rolled down the street, moving in a smooth speed. Hiro was glad nobody could see through the dark glass and noticed the missing driver. He sat firmly in his seat, trying to think up of a conversation.

Hiro kept glancing at Yasuo’s direction. _There’s nothing good about the Ishioka family, all they do is bring misery and misfortune_. His uncle’s words still echo inside his mind; no matter what Uncle Aiji said, it seems so ridiculous to see Yasuo as dangerous. And Hiro doesn’t care if his uncle objects—he WILL continue visit Dr. Ishioka.

 _Still,_ he thinks, _Dr. Ishioka was involved creating a superweapon that could destroy a whole city. Is that what Uncle Aiji meant…? But why hold a grudge against him and not my dad? Dad worked with Ishioka on the Izanami Project. I wished Uncle elaborated more…_

Yasuo suddenly stopped working on his palmtop and removed notebook from his bag. He handed it over to Hiro.

“This is for you,” he said. “I was going to give it you last night like we planned but my father said I wasn’t allowed to leave home past curfew anymore.”

“Thanks!” Hiro took his notebook back. An embarrassing memory from last night came to him. “Um, about last night during our phone call… It was an accident, I didn’t mean to call you that--”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Yasuo turned to him, confused. “I had to hang up because my father wanted my attention, so I wasn’t able to hear your last message.”

Hiro exhaled with relief. “Well, it was n-nothing important. No w-worries…”

Yasuo shrugged and went back to palmtop, typing away.

“I saw a lot of sketches of robot designs inside it,” Yasuo stated. “As well of designs of various superhero suits and weapons.”

“Well, I had a lot of ideas for our team,” Hiro grinned sheepishly, using his finger to scratch his cheek. “Right now, all our stuff is pretty much the same when I first created them but I kept trying to improve them now that criminals are getting stronger with their own weird gimmicks.”

Yasuo then looked over to him, with a sly expression. “I knew it. You’re actually part of Big Hero 6.”

Hiro gasped, his eyes bugged open with fear.

“W-what? Where did you get that idea?” Hiro stammered, on the verge of panicking. He thought Yasuo was already aware his and his friends’ superhero identities, but now that he thinks about again—he recalled never telling Yasuo such a thing. “I’m just j-joking, I’m not a su-superhero! I just… I just like making fanart of Big Hero 6!”

To his surprise, Yasuo chuckled softly.

“I’m just messing with you, I already knew,” he said. “My father told me you’re protecting him from Shiragiku.”

Hiro could feel his face burn with embarrassment, but he was smiling. Yasuo went back to his laptop. Hiro glanced at the screen and saw what appears to be test papers.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m copying some papers for my cousin and his chums who needed it to pass their exams,” Yasuo replied nonchalantly without looking up. “His wanted this at the last minute and I can’t ignore him this time.”

“But that’s cheating, they’re using your skills to get what they want through hacking!” Hiro protested. “You’ll get arrested!”

Yasuo spoke again, his tone now serious. “Why are you so nice?” he inquired.

“Eh?”

“I’ve already given you a gift and then a free ride to your school. There’s no further need to care about me,” Yasuo mumbled. His face is blank but there was a heavy melancholy in his eyes and voice. “What do you want from me? No need to hide it.”

“I don’t want anything,” Hiro answered. “I just want to be your friend.”

“… It’s because you looked up to my father and wanted to get on his good side, right? It’s okay, you’re not the first…”

“No, that’s not it.

“That can’t be right,” Yasuo said, shaking his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m telling you the truth. I have no hidden motives when making friends. Isn’t it the same for you, Yasuo?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” he begged quietly. “If I try to stand up to myself, someone gets hurt and I get in trouble from my teachers and father… I did something bad, and I regretted it.”

“Would you like to tell me what it was?” Hiro asked slowly.

Yasuo became reluctant but he decided it's time to confess his painful reasons so Hiro could realize why he shouldn't befriend. He doesn't deserve someone as good as Hiro for company.

His hands clutch the fabric of his pants. His face went dark. “I used a knife on a student from my old school," he stated icily.

Hiro felt the hairs on the back of skin freeze up but Yasuo continued.

“I was a target for bullies because I don’t stand out and cry easily,” he explained. “It had gotten to the point that I had to bring a knife to school. One day, I was a small group of them cornered me after classes and tried to throw me into the school incinerator. I was so terrified and, at the same time, angry… That’s when I pulled out the knife, and…”

Yasuo stopped. He clenched his lips together to held by a sob as tears began rolling down his cheeks.

“It w-wasn’t a deep cut, but nobody approached me after that,” he continued as more tears fell. “When my father heard of the incident, he went ballistic… And he began using harsh discipline and control over me to correct myself and preserve the family name… That’s why I’m like this, why I’m better off alone and let anyone use me… I’ll always be a burden to everyone.”

“Yasuo…” Hiro whispered.

“I d-don’t want your pity, Hamada!” Yasuo held back a sob, looking away. It was like he has been holding his frustrations and sorrows for so long it began to flow put like a dam. “Why do you care so much about me?”

Hiro felt incredibly awful seeing Yasuo in tears and defenseless. He then noticed the car finally parked outside the SFIT campus.

“W-we’re here now,” Yasuo sniffled, covering his face with his hands so Hiro wouldn’t see him crying. “Just get out. And d-don’t tell my father that I cried!”

Hiro slowly reached a hand out and grabbed Yasuo’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Yasuo stopped crying and stared at Hiro with tear-filled eyes.

“I’m not giving on you,” he told him. “Your past mistakes don’t define who you are right now. You have a choice to make yourself better. You are NOT a burden. Besides, you liked having someone to talk to, right?”

Yasuo went quiet and wiped his tears away with a tissue.

“Is it… Is it okay if we can be friends?” he asked in tiny, scared voice. “I know I already have Mirin as friend, but…”

Hiro gave him a huge grin. “Sure, and you can hang out with us! As long as you don’t mind Fred’s poor hygiene.”

Yasuo sniffled but he laughed, feeling a huge weight that has been lifted from his chest. Hiro was about to get out of the car but Yasuo still wouldn’t let go of his hand. The grip is surprisingly strong despite his thin frame and it felt warm on Hiro’s skin.

“Thank you… _Hiro,_ ” Yasuo said shyly. He emphasized Hiro’s name in a way that it brought a pleasurable chill down Hiro’s spine.

Yasuo reluctantly released Hiro’s hand, and the latter watched to robot-controlled car leave the area. Hiro could feel a strange warmth coursing throughout his body and a desire to see Yasuo again.

He heard a ringing sound and picked it up his phone. The call came from Abigail Callaghan.

* * *

“What do we do, Hiro?” Honey Lemon asked in a troubled tone. “Our last battle with Yama and those robots proved to be far superior than we expected.”

It was lunch hour and the group gathered to sit on a grassy mound in the campus. They had their books out are studying and sharing notes together, except for Fred the school mascot who is busy reading the newspaper.

“Yeah, they’re so tough they manage to put a lot of damage in our suits and weapons,” Wasabi said. “Who knows how many more of those monsters Mukuro has in his organization.”

“I don’t think I want to fight another robot like that again soon,” Gogo groaned, rubbing her sore wrist. “We need to get stronger.”

“I’m rebuilding our next suits, guys,” Hiro reassured them. “And it might take a while to get all your new upgraded weapons finished… Anyways, I called you all here because I received a call from Abigail.”

“What did she say?” Honey asked, leaning forward.

“She heard about our battle with Yama and the Akujin robots last night,” Hiro said. “She congratulated on us, but she said Stanwick has a message for us. Stanwick wanted us to keep patrolling as usual but we must avoid any major fights with Shiragiku… for now.”

“How come?” Gogo demanded. “Protecting San Fransokyo from criminals is our duty.”

“We can still do that, but only with ordinary criminals,” Hiro told her. “It’s just that Abigail said we’re ‘not yet ready’ and we have to wait until after we finished our training in Fred’s family island. In the meantime, she and Stanwick will take care of Shiragiku activities for us. It’s just a temporary thing.”

“I guess we have no other choice then,” Gogo sighed. “On the other hand, this lessens our distractions from studying on the final exams.”

“Also, I told my aunt about our secret lives,” Hiro said nervously. His friends stared at him, all wearing the same anxious looks.

“How did she take it?” Wasabi inquired.

“She… took it very well,” Hiro said. “She’s still worried for me but she trust me enough that I won’t get hurt. Right now, she’s probably home from the hospital and has Baymax taking care of her.”

“Hey guys,” Fred spoke up after being absorbed from the newspaper. “You gotta check this out.”

Wasabi looked at him suspiciously. “Fred, is this another comic strip you found funny?”

“No, this is serious. Look!”

Fred slammed the newspaper down on the ground for the others to see. On the front page is a picture of Big Hero 6 rushing out of the burning cultural building. Above the picture are words printed in bold: **_BH6, Heroes or Menace?_**

“Menace?” Hiro repeated the last word incredulous. “We just stopped several bad guys and saved a hostage!”

“Who wrote this article?” Gogo skimmed through the page. “Jameson… I knew it.”

Wasabi read the paper next to her. “He thinks the destruction of a historical property important to Japanese culture was our fault. But he’s not the only one angry, we’re getting some people criticizing for our ‘reckless’ actions.”

“We couldn’t do anything to prevent massive damage to the cultural center,” Hiro said, feeling a guilty. “We didn’t start the fire that burned it down. We also had to stop the criminals. So why are they getting pissed at us?”

“I think people just need to find someone to blame, Hiro,” Honey said. “Don’t worry, they won’t be furious forever.”

“So, what’s the plan tonight, little man?” Fred asked.

“We’ll patrol around the industrial docks to find one of Shiragiku’s secret bases,” Hiro said. “We might have to meet up at a late hour, I need to see if my aunt is okay first.”

“Then it’s a date!” Fred hold ups a thumbs-up. His cellphone began to ring and checked the text message. “Speaking of date… Stephanie wanted to talk to me later this afternoon.”

At that moment, the school bell rang out signaling that lunch hour is over. Before everyone returned to their classes, Hiro gave them last-second instructions.

“Alright, we meet up at the warehouse where Callaghan mass-produced my microbots at this hour,” he said, writing down a number. “Don’t forget to use the communicator if you’ll be running late.”

* * *

When Hiro finally returned home, he saw a small group of hard-hat workers helping to clean up the debris from the garage. He entered the café, which is empty despite it’s a business day today. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Aunt Cass talking to Uncle Aiji.

“… I don’t know what to do without you, Aiji,” Cass thanked him gratefully.

“Consider this making up for my unpleasant behavior last night,” Aiji said with a hand-wave. He then noticed Hiro’s presence which made him and Cass looked at their nephew.

“Hiro, welcome home!” Aunt Cass greeted him with a hug. “Your uncle hired those people in the garage to fix it, and he’ll pay for the expenses. He’s also the one who drove me home from the hospital.”

“Really?” Hiro said in awe. He couldn’t believe his uncle, so stern and uncaring, went out of his way to help the woman he usually disagreed with. “Uncle, thanks!”

Uncle Aiji kept a stiff face despite trying to fight back a blush and a smile.

“Well, I better get going as well,” he mumbled awkwardly. “Call me if you have any other problems, Cassandra.”

Cass smirked and playfully nudged his side with her elbow. Aiji made a flustered noise and straightened up before leaving the café.

“That was like a complete 180 degrees turn for him,” Hiro commented. “I guess people are not what they seem.”

“He might go back resenting me,” Cass said, chuckling. “But he did helped built the place above this cafe so you and Tadashi can find a home to stay after your parents died.”

Hiro and Cass went behind the café and up to their home.

“So, did you manage to cremate Mochi’s remains?” Hiro asked quietly.

Cass sighed, her eyes filled with sadness. “It was so sad to see him go like that. But at least he has a cute urn to hold his ashes.”

When they reached the landing, they were met by Baymax.

“Welcome home, Hiro,” Baymax greeted his patient.

“Hey, Baymax!” Hiro holds up a fist-bump which Baymax bumped it with his balloon fist. “By the way, Aunt Cass. Baymax and I will be going out later tonight.”

“Is this about your superhero thing?” Cass asked.

“Yeah. I know you’re nervous about me, but I have Baymax to protect me.”

“I’m fine of you going out doing your secret job. But after dinner and homework, okay?”

“Deal.”

* * *

It was dinner time at the Park residence, Gogo was in the middle of getting dinner and taking it to her room so she could eat while studying.

“No, grandma. I don’t want any legumes,” Gogo told her. “You know I don’t care of them.”

Her tiny, aging grandmother pouted and scooped a spoonful of legumes to pour into Gogo’s bowl of soul. However, due to her bad eyesight, she accidentally dropped the legumes on the table instead.

“Don’t be so picky, Sang-hwa,” Grandmother Park says, “these are healthy for you!”

Gogo replies, “I can think of other vegetables that are good for my health.”

When she reached to her room, she heard her cellphone ringing. Gogo answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Gogo,” Hiro’s voice was heard. Or what she thinks is Hiro is speaking to her. “Do you remember what we’re supposed to do tonight?”

“Yeah, you told us about during lunch,” Gogo answered. “We’re meeting at Callaghan’s old warehouse at ten.”

“Yyyyeah, we might have to cancel that. I’ve already called the others about it so we’re not hanging out tonight.”

“Cancel? How come?” Gogo demanded.

“Baymax is having some mild problems with his program, and I have to work on it. See you tomorrow!”

“Hiro, hang on…” But the call went dead. Gogo cursed, but she became suspicious of Hiro’s odd change of plans.

* * *

After dinner and homework (like he promised to Aunt Cass), Hiro and Baymax went to what’s left of the garage.  To Hiro’s relief, none of the computers are damaged and he was able to turn on 3D-printer to print out a new armor for him and Baymax. When he was done, it was a quarter until ten o’clock before he meets up with his friends.

“You read, Baymax?” Hiro asked his friend after climbing onto the robot’s back. He decided to leave his microbots and the neurotransmitter behind this time.

“I’m waiting for your instructions,” Baymax replied, now wearing his usual bright red armor.

“Then, you know what to do… Baymax, wings!”

At this command, Baymax’s back sprouted wide wings. With the support of the rocket thrusters under his feet, Baymax zoomed up the sky.

Hiro missed flying like this, and it made him happier about how much he has his friend back. He stretched his arms open wide to let the wind blow against him as Baymax fly over the colorful lights of San Fransokyo.

Hiro wanted this moment to last longer but he remembered his plan to meet up with the others.

“Okay, Baymax,” Hiro began. “Onto our destination…”

He heard his communicator emitting a crackling noise which hurt his ears. But it died down a familiar voice began speaking to Hiro, which made him paralyze in shock.

 _“Hiro, I know you can hear me,”_ Tadashi’s smooth, cold voice said. _“I want to talk to you. **Alone.** I’ve already cancelled your plans with your teammates with a voice modifier.”_

“Tadashi?” Hiro gasped. “H-how did you hack into my communicator? Where are you?”

“I’m standing on top of one of the wind turbines,” Tadashi replied. “You’ll be able to find me quickly. I’ll be waiting for you.”

And with that, Tadashi hung up. Hiro gulped and he could feel his body shaking; he remembered his last encounter with his older brother and it wasn’t very pleasant. Tadashi wants to talk to him after avoiding him for so long. Hiro doesn’t know if it’ll be a trap, but he knows he can’t ignore this.

He ordered Baymax to fly higher until they reach the wind turbines. To their luck, they saw a figure standing on the first huge turbine they came across. Tadashi, in his black and blue attire with a matching black lower-half mask, was indeed waiting for them. The turbine he’s standing on has pink cherry-blossom designs with a huge word printed in red, “Promise!”

Baymax carefully landed on the turbine. Hiro climbed off from the nursebot and stepped forward nervously. The evening wind whipped around them and the air feels cold and deadly quiet.

Tadashi and Hiro just exchanged stares, waiting for each other to break the silence. Hiro wanted to feel disgust and hatred at the enemy before him, but he could not. All he could see is his dearest older brother, alive and breathing. Hiro felt a crushing desperation to embrace Tadashi but he held back. He opened his visor so his face could be shown.

“How did you get up here without any flying equipment?” Hiro bursts out a random question, though he realized it was actually appropriate due to the odd location of their meeting.

“That’s not important right now,” Tadashi said gruffly and lowered his mask. The burnt scars on his face seemed to contrast more in under the night sky. Hiro tried not to flinch from the sight.

Tadashi exhaled, “… How is Aunt Cass?”

“She… She’s fine,” Hiro replied. “No serious injuries.”

Baymax kept standing behind Hiro, ready to protect his patient if something went wrong. He also began recording this moment as well as scanning his creator-turned-rogue.

“That’s good to hear,” Tadashi said, looking away to stare at the stars. “She’s not involved in this. And neither will you.”

“I’m already involved the moment Mukuro and his mooks first appeared,” Hiro snapped angrily. “I cannot look the other way and let Shiragiku destroy everything Big Hero 6 is trying to protect. Long ago, you always used to tell me that I must put my big brain to better use, and I must do what is right. Why are you doing this?”

Tadashi glared at his younger brother. “I told you before, Hiro, you don’t have what it takes to stop Shiragiku. The organization is growing bigger and Mukuro has more advanced weapons under his belt. You’ll just be throwing you and everybody else’s lives away.”

“I refuse to stay away,” Hiro glared back.

“Tadashi,” Baymax spoke up. “You don’t have to follow Mukuro any longer and endanger your own life.”

“Be quiet, Baymax,” Tadashi hissed. “Nobody asked you for your opinion.”

“Hey! He’s right, you bonehead!” Hiro yelled. “The both of us know you better than most people, we both know you’re still the same good guy because you will never follow a criminal.”

“Don’t… look at me like.” Tadashi muttered and lowered his face to avoid Hiro’s gaze. “Don’t look at me like you still have hopes for me. You don’t know what happened to me and what I went through after that night of the fire.”

“No, I don’t,” Hiro admitted. “But after everything I went through recently, you owe me a huge explanation about how you survived. Aunt Cass told me she identified your body when it was found before we buried it. I want to know the truth, Tadashi.”

“If I tell you then, will you stop pursuing Mukuro?”

“I will decide for myself.”

Tadashi sighed and ran a hand through his dark locks. He closed his eyes, thinking in deep thoughts. Hiro waited for a long time until Tadashi final revealed what happened to him that fateful night and the dark months that followed…

* * *

_Tadashi could feel his ears ringing and his head throbbed with immense pain. He tried to remember what had happened; he remembered running into the exhibition hall… It was on fire, everyone had gone out but Callaghan was still inside… Hiro held his arm, trying not to let him go… But he left his brother behind because he has to help his teacher. **Someone one has to help.** Those was his last words he shared to Hiro and it was the last time he saw him._

_Then the explosion happened and a deafening sound followed by blinding flash of warm light overwhelmed him. He remembered thinking how he didn’t want to die yet._

_When he finally came to, Tadashi found himself lying down on the floor on his stomach, buried under wood and cement debris (except save for his head, chest and arms). He tried to pull himself out but he failed. He noticed a burning pain on his face and he was squirming in agony. He adjusted his vision and saw fire everywhere, eating everything in its destructive path. It was like he was in Hell._

_In the distance, he saw a huge black mass moving towards him. He recognized them as Hiro’s microbot invention but what shocked him was the person controlling them: Professor Callaghan._

_Callaghan was looking for a way to exit when he saw someone lying on the floor and covered in debris. To his mild surprise, it was his favorite student. He could have sworn he saw Tadashi left the hall with his friends and family earlier. He didn’t expect a witness to see him get away with his theft but at least Tadashi won’t survive any longer._

_“P-Professor Callaghan,” Tadashi coughed and held out a weak, bloodied hand. “H-Help me… please…”_

_Callaghan just stared coldly at him and without a word, he walked away with Hiro’s microbots. Tadashi watched him go and pleaded for his teacher to come back. His cries went ignored and Tadashi realized he was going to die here in this inferno, alone._

_Tadashi buried his face and was ready to accept his fate when he heard someone calling his name. It came from a male adult and he didn’t recognize the voice… at first._

_He felt some of the burning debris removed and then pulled away from the wreckage. He turned to see who his rescuer was and he felt the whole world spinning around him…_

* * *

“The one who pulled me out…” Tadashi paused. “It was our dad, Hiro.”

“D-Dad?!” Hiro’s jaw dropped out. “But that’s—that’s impossible. Dad died many years ago!”

“That’s what I thought too…”

* * *

_Tadashi coughed again but he was clinging to his long-lost father, whose hair has more gray color and his face was covered in wrinkles indicating he has been through plenty of horrible incidents. He is wearing a huge jacket and cap with a wide brim to cover his face._

_“Dad, is that you…?” Tadashi whimpered. “Y-you’re alive, I can’t believe it…!”_

_“I didn’t plan to meet you again like this, son,” Tomeo Hamada said sadly. He rubs Tadashi’s head affectionately like he used to do before when his son was very little. “I just returned to San Fransokyo after many years of hiding and running. I saw you and Hiro’ presentation earlier. I’m so proud to see you both grown up and happy… I wished I never left you two behind.”_

_“W-where did you go?” Tadashi demanded as he strained himself to it up._

_“I will tell you everything, I promise,” Tomeo told him. “For now let’s get you out of here before this place collapse.”_

_Tomeo helped his oldest son up to his feet and was about to take him away when a masked figure in dark clothing approached him. Tomeo seemed to recognize the person and tried to protect Tadashi._

_“No! Why are you here?!” he shouted. “You cannot take him!”_

_However, Mukuro grabbed Tomeo by the front of his shirt and forcefully pull him aside. Tadashi fell to the floor again. He winced from the pain and he looked up to see Mukuro and Tomeo struggle for a bit until Tomeo fell to the floor as well. A knife lodged on his throat._

_An anguished scream erupted from Tadashi’s voice. He just met his father again, after thinking he was dead for ten years, only to see him actually die before his eyes. With eyes full of tears, he tried to lash at the mysterious stranger but Mukuro quickly overcame him and knocked him out._

* * *

_When Tadashi woke up again, he found himself lying on a bed in an empty room with a tall steel door and thick cement walls. There was only one light but it wasn’t lit. He doesn’t know how long he has been asleep. Tadashi was still in pain but he noticed someone had wrapped his wounds in bandages. Even half of his face was covered in heavy bandages making him see with only one eye._

_Tadashi remembered his seeing his father killed in front of him; he wanted to break down and cry. He doesn’t even know where he is. The steel door creaked open and a bright light fell on him. The mysterious stranger who was seen from the fire walked in. Tadashi noticed he wasn’t wearing his demon mask but shadows concealed his face. Tadashi, however, instantly recognized him._

_“No… it was you?” he asked in a raspy voice._

_“Oh, Tadashi,” the man behind Mukuro’s identity sighed. He grabbed a chair and sat in front of the wounded teenager. “I didn’t have to use force, but I did.”_

_“Murderer,” Tadashi snarled. “You killed my dad.”_

_“What, that hypocrite?” Mukuro scoffed. “Do you actually believe he came back because he missed you?”_

_“You stabbed him. I saw it… Once the police recovered his body, they will know I went missing.”_

_“You are wrong, my boy.”_

_Mukuro pulled out a newspaper from his coat and gave it to him. Tadashi read the article in front of him using the light from outside the door. It mentioned a mysterious fire that broke out at the exhibition hall at SFIT and two people were announced dead: Professor Callaghan and Tadashi Hamada._

_Tadashi froze, the newspaper shook in his trembling hands._

_“What is this?” he demanded. “I saw Callaghan alive and escaped with my brother’s microbots! And I never died! Why isn’t my father mentioned?”_

_“It appears when your father’s corpse was found, he was burned so bad that your poor aunt assumed it was you only at a shallow glance. It was easy for her to make a mistake, after all… you and your father looked so much alike.”_

_Tadashi tore the newspaper in shred and threw them at Mukuro’s face, who didn’t even flinch._

_“I don’t care what the paper says!” he screamed. “I’m still alive!”_

_“Listen, Tadashi… The reason you almost died because Callaghan started that fire so he could steal Hiro’s microbots.”_

_Tadashi’s chest heaved as he recalled what he saw. “That… That couldn’t be right. Callaghan is a good a man, he would never do such a thing.”_

_“And yet he left you to die without lifting a finger to help you. You know it’s true…”_

_Tadashi shook his head but he knows in his hear that was the case. He remembered seeing his professor’s dark face and how it frightened him... A new feeling rush into his boiling blood, it was something foreign but he knew what it is._

_Hatred._

_His own professor had betrayed him and left him to die. Tadashi felt so stupid for putting himself in danger trying to save that ungrateful man._

_“That… bastard,” Tadashi choked. “What would he want with Hiro’s microbots?”_

_“I am not sure, but things will be revealed all in due time. In the meantime, I have a proposition for you…”_

_Tadashi looked up, listening partly._

_“Now that the whole city thinks you’re dead, you can’t go back home,” Mukuro said. “I had my eye on you for a long time. I am currently rebuilding my old organization and I am in need for a lieutenant for who will assist me. You have an amazing talent and intelligence. You are perfect the job.”_

_“Why… me?” Tadashi asked. He glared at Mukuro with resentment. “I’m just a college kid studying robotics. I’m not interested.”_

_Mukuro was quiet before he switched to another tactic. “That’s a shame. I was hoping you’d be eager to join me. I’ll just pick someone else… They’ll be the one who goes through the horrors of my harsh training and be forced to kill people on my instructions. And if they disobey my orders or complain, they will be punished. I bet it makes you feel good to let someone else suffer for you.”_

_Tadashi paled; he cannot bear to think of someone being manipulated or tormented because he HIMSELF let himself get away safe. He cannot allow this to happen._

_“… I don’t feel good about it,” Tadashi said. “But I decided to join you after all. Don’t expect me to like you.”_

_Mukuro chuckled sinisterly and stood up. “I will make you my most loyal follower and once your training is done, you will shed all traces of your previous self away. Get more rest. In a week, we are leaving San Fransokyo… After that, I will put you in Hell.”_

_Mukuro walked away and closed the steel door, leaving Tadashi alone in the dark._

* * *

“In exactly one week, some of my wounds got better but I still had to be smuggled out of the city in secret,” Tadashi concluded. “Mukuro took me to Japan and he wasn’t exaggerating that he would put me in Hell. It was worse than Hell… I will spare you grisly details but after months of intense training, I gradually became Mukuro’s loyal lieutenant… Just like he predicted. I have been shaped into a cold-hearted monster as well.”

“Why?” Hiro asked.

Tadashi gave him a cruel look. “It’s because… of you.”

Hiro was taken aback. “W-what? How am I responsible?”

* * *

_After he left his home San Fransokyo, Tadashi was taken to an island off from Japan where Mukuro forced him into dangerous, difficult training to enhance Tadashi’s senses and reflexes to become like that of a ninja. Tadashi was thrown into dark caves and must learn how to survive and fight off hidden enemies and other dangerous using all sorts of weapons. He wasn’t used to these horrors, and there are days he felt cold, starving and on the verge of dying. But Mukuro kept pushing him and healing him._

_Tadashi learned how to numb his body from the pain, physical and emotional. Nobody knew where he is or even knew he’s alive. He gave up hoping to be saved. Soon, Tadashi was able to effortlessly overcome obstacles and traps, and it gave him a sense of satisfaction to see him take down sparring partners._

_Four months passed and Tadashi was sitting in a different room, nursing his bruises with an icepack after another day of practice. He nearly died after falling into a pit of sharp rocks, and all those repeated punches at the training dummy brought blood onto his knuckles. He heard his door open and saw Mukuro walking in._

_“Didn’t you ever learn how to knock?” Tadashi asked sarcastically._

_“There are no secrets to hide in Shiragiku,” Mukuro told him. “I have brought you some… **interesting** news.”_

* * *

“Mukuro told me about six superheroes protecting San Fransokyo,” Tadashi said. “And that’s when I learned that my own little brother not only used my robot for his own personal whim but had went on… living a life and forgetting about me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hiro cried. “I didn’t do anything wrong to you!”

“Callaghan may have left me to die, but if you never made those stupid microbots, he would have no reason to start the fire… which would have not led to the death of our dad.”

“Tadashi, stop!” Hiro yelled angrily. “It’s not my fault! Mukuro is manipulating you!”

“Yet, here you are… getting other people to join you in your little game to become superheroes and catch the bad guys while endangering your lives. You think this is just another botfight for you. Your friends knew I was alive and they didn’t care enough to look for me. Mukuro hasn’t given an order to kill you yet because he is waiting for the right moment. You are to stay out of Shiragiku business and you will forget about who I used to be.”

Hiro and Baymax listened to all this, absorbing it into their mind so they will never forget it. Hiro stepped closer, reaching out a hand.

“Tadashi, come home with us,” he pleaded softly. “Everybody missed when you were gone. Our friends may not show it, but they still care about you. … Come home with me.”

Tadashi looked at Hiro’s hand and slowly reached out his own hand. For one moment, Hiro thought Tadashi finally came to his senses but his brother weakly pushed Hiro’s gloved hand away.

“I’m sorry, Hiro,” Tadashi said. Despite his icy frown there was genuine remorse in his voice. “We can never be together.”

Hiro dropped his hand, feeling his heart breaking in two. Tadashi pulled out a radio and contacted someone.

“I’m ready to leave,” he gave an order. “Pick me up.”

As soon as he hung up, he turned to see Hiro giving him a fierce look of determination.

“I will destroy it all,” he announced.

“What?” Tadashi inquired.

Hiro continued, “I will destroy Mukuro’s plans without you. Big Hero 6 will stop Shiragiku and apprehend your leader. I will not fight you now, Tadashi. But the next time we meet… I will not hold back.”

Tadashi broke into a nasty smile. “Good, let’s see how much stronger you’ve gotten. It’ll be just like our karate practice—I can’t wait to beat you again.”

Hiro walked away and climbed on Baymax’s back without looking at his big brother.

“Baymax,” Tadashi spoke up, dropping his smile. “Watch him.”

Baymax gave his creator a small nod before flying off. Hiro glanced back at Tadashi this time, feeling crestfallen as ever. He hated being farther away from his brother, but right now he can’t bear to be near him.

 _Tadashi, you jerk... I always wanted to be like you,_ he thought miserably. _I wanted to build things with you, and make our dreams come true. Tadashi… did you get sick of me?_

Back on the sakura turbine, Tadashi silently watched his little brother and his robot creation leave until they disappear into the clouds. And that's when he broke down, showing a weakness he hid from everyone in Shiragiku. He fell to his knees and covered his eyes with his gloved hand. Guilt-ridden tears trickling down along his cheeks, reminding him of the consequences of his choice. He whispered his suppressed apologies but if anyone were around to hear him, they could only hear the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Will Hiro and Tadashi ever become brothers again? Who knows! *goes to cry from the pain from writing this chapter*))


	17. Regrets and Loneliness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail, Stanwick, and Dr. Ishioka reveal an incident that happened in the past which caused Tomeo Hamada to disappear. Meanwhile, Tadashi recalls memories of a bitter childhood he didn't want to remember...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((A new chapter is here, though I must warn you... there's a lot of flashbacks and some disturbing imagery. Now that is out of the way, enjoy!))

**Chapter 16**

Thursday the 19th of May. Three days after Hiro talked to Tadashi, another conversation was held in the living room of the traditional Japanese mansion of the Ishioka estate. It was early evening when Stanwick and Abigail had arrived to meet with Stanwick’s old companion from his old superhero days.

Dr. Ishioka took them to a private room where they sat around a low table and a service robot gave them tea for drinks.

“It’s been a while, Daichi,” Stanwick smiled after sipping his tea. “You’ve aged since I last saw you.”

“I could say the same for you,” Ishioka said. “What brings you two here?”

“We wanted to ask if you still have your own file that helps make up the Izanagi System,” Abigail asked. “So far, we’ve received information from our source that Shiragiku has got then hands on at least two of the four parts.”

“Who is this source who told you this?” Ishioka asked.

“We can’t say,” Abigail replied. “They never revealed their identity and they preferred to keep it that way.”

“Well, I still have mine locked away in a secret vault, highly protected,” Ishioka told her. “Do you want me to give you my file?”

“It is a good idea to keep the remaining two together somewhere safe,” Stanwick said. “But it’s also risky to have them both stolen by Shiragiku. So it’s best you keep yours safe where you placed it.”

“And what about the last file?” Ishioka inquired. “Who had it last?”

“It was kept by Dr. Iosama, another of your old colleague. He gave it to me a long time ago, but he kept the bluprints for Izanami,” Stanwick replied. “Shiragiku kidnapped him but Abigail managed to keep the blueprints away from them. I’ll be taking the files to my island where they will be guarded twenty-four hours until we deal with Mukuro and his organization.”

Ishioka listened to all of this with intent. His face is stiff while he pondered deep thoughts.

“It’s been twelve years since I worked on Project Izanami,” Ishioka said slowly. “All four of us… Callaghan, Iosama, Hamada, and I… working endlessly, trying to create a weapon that could protect this country and stop wars. Until that one terrible accident which not only shut down the project but abandoned the unfinished Izanami.”

“Yes, I remember that day,” Stanwick agreed grimly. “Iosama’s daughter Marys was used as a test subject, right?”

“What happened to Marys exactly?” Abigail demanded. “The two of us used to play together but my father and Dr. Iosama never gave me the full details how she died. And then there’s the matter with Dr. Tomeo Hamada.”

“What about him?” Ishioka asked.

“It might come as a surprise to you, Daichi,” Stanwick mumbled. “But Dr. Hamada didn’t die twelve years ago like what his family believed. He was actually alive and in hiding all this time, and the two of us kept in contact.”

“What?” Ishioka frowned. “Tomeo was my best friend, we were in Ronin Rangers together. How come he never contacted me?”

“He wanted to make sure he will lessen the risks of anyone finding out his whereabouts,” Stanwick explained.

“Mukuro might threaten to attack his family as blackmail against him, right?” Abigail said.

“No… That time, Mukuro had disappeared after the old Shiragiku was destroyed,” Stanwick shook his head. “Tomeo went in hiding because of that accident regarding the creation of the Izanami System. Everyone who was in on the project was responsible, but Tomeo decided to take the full blame on himself while the government and I covered it up.”

Stanwick and Ishioka then fell silent. Abigail kept pressing on.

“I have to know,” she said. “I’m now working to stop the new Shiragiku and I want to find out some truths.”

Stanwick was about to tell her no but Ishioka stopped her. The latter decided to give Abigail her the answer she need.

“It might be hard for you to believe. This isn’t someone I’d bring up on a dinner conversation… You know the Izanagi System are actually a group of three supercomputers linked together, right?” Ishioka explained. “They’re also organic computers whose A.I. were implanted with aspects of three personalities from three different people.”

“That A.I. has part of Marys’ personality. How… is that possible?”

“I created machine that scans her brain and uploads it to a system where they are converted to computer intelligence,” Ishioka continued. “We were not allowed to use humans for test subjects due to how potentially dangerous the brain scan could be. We wasted weeks trying to find alternatives until Marys, who knows about the project, volunteered to be a secret test subject for the experiment. She was the first… and followed by others. Stanwick funded the project.”

“You actually… used humans… as your personal guinea pigs?” Abigail began to shudder, imagining what intense scientific experiments her late friend went through.

“We had no other alternatives. Everything went well at first,” Ishioka said. “Marys didn’t have any serious problems other than headaches and an occasional nosebleed… We experimented on her and other people few days a week, gradually creating three A.I. personalities: Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susanoo.”

“What’s with all the Japanese mythology references?” Abigail commented in a snarky tone. “Then how did Marys die? And what happened to Tomeo Hamada?”

Ishioka paused, as he recalled that fateful day…

* * *

**Twelve years ago, in a government facility far from San Fransokyo.**

“Are you alright, sweetie?” Dr. Iosama asked as he helped his adult daughter into what resembles a dental chair sitting on the middle of a circle.

The two, as well a couple of assistants, are inside a gray-wall room with only one door and large window that shows the other scientists working on their machines behind it.

Marys, a young bespectacled woman, is wearing white, loose clothing gave her father a cheerful before handing her glasses over to an assistant. Another assistant began strapping wires all over her head and crown.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. She jokingly added, “I can’t wait to get this over with and suffer more headaches.”

“We can get someone else, someone more professional,” Iosama suggested.

“Dad, I’m okay,” Marys told him. “Besides, my brain is used to create Susanoo, right? It’ll be the coolest thing I’ll ever do.” Despite her optimistic tone, she looked troubled about.

“Iosama, we’re ready,” Ishioka called out on the speaker from behind the window.

Dr. Iosama and the assistants left Marys in the testing room. Iosama joined with his fellow scientist and sat between Callaghan and Ishioka.

“I know how you feel, Keigo,” Callaghan said. “I have a daughter too. I wouldn’t want to see her be put in a secret experiment.”

“She’s a brave girl,” Iosama said as he began typing on his keyboard. “I just hope we’re doing the right thing.”

“Our experiments on the previous two test subjects were successes,” Ishioka stated. “If we finished downloading her brain today, Susanoo will be complete. And the Izanagi System will be completely born as well.”

Next to Ishioka, Tomeo Hamada was working away with a heavy, pale expression full of exhaustion and sorrow. Ishioka had noticed it for a while and decided to speak up about it.

“Tomeo, what seems to be bothering you?” he asked.

“I’m just remembering about my wife,” Tomeo replied slowly. He rubbed his eyes, which has heavy dark bags underneath them. “I remembered her sitting on that very chair.”

Iosama and Callaghan exchanged sympathetic looks; Tomeo’s wife was the test subject who helped created Amaterasu’s A.I.

After Amaterasu’s creation was a success, Tomeo’s wife grew terribly ill to the point her mind slowly deteriorated. Tomeo had to quit working on the project to take care of his wife (thus which explains why he wasn’t around when Tsukiyomi was created). After his wife died, it took at a few months for Tomeo to return and he looked as though he himself has died.

“We’re sorry about what happened with Mae,” Ishioka said briefly. “But she still made a valiant choice despite the risks.”

“My sons… I keep leaving them alone so many times so I can work on this,” Tomeo sighed.

“Tomeo,” Callaghan spoke up firmly. “After the experiment is finished today, go home and stay with your boys.”

Tomeo felt relieved to hear this. “Yes, home…”

Feeling impatient, Ishioka cleared his throat. “Look, Stanwick Lebur paid good money to help make this project possible. Let’s activate the personality imprint transplant.”

Everyone got to work immediately. Inside the testing room, a metallic sphere began to emerge from the circle and entrap Marys inside. On the monitor screens, it shows the images of the test subject’s brain, and a gauge that reads a seventy-five percent level.

“Activate transfer,” Ishioka announced.

The walls inside the room began to glow in a pale blue color. On the screen, the guage slowly began to fill up.

All the scientists kept vigilant watch as they transfer the personality imprint into the Susanoo A.I. Iosama never kept his eyes away from the subject’s brain activity and vitals. Half an hour passed and the gauge was filled up without incident. Ishioka finished adding the last touches and Susanoo was finished and added to the other A.I. to complete Izanagi.

“It is done,” Ishioka exclaimed. “Izanagi is born. And now we can continue finishing building Izanami…”

Suddenly to everyone’s surprise, the lights inside the testing room began to flash red and an alert sound began to ring out. The sphere began to shake as it emits steam. Something was wrong. Callaghan checked the monitor.

“The test subject is suffering an epileptic seizure and her blood pressure is rising!” Callaghan shouted.

A shriek of terror was heard from inside the sphere.

 ** _“Shut off the machine!”_** Iosama cried. **_“SHUT IT OFF NOW!”_**

 _“We can’t!”_ Tomeo yelled. _“The system won’t let me!”_

 ** _“What’s happening to my daughter?! Marys!”_** Iosama tried to run inside the room but Ishioka held him back.

 _“Don’t, it’s dangerous!”_ he told him.

The assistants entered inside instead and hurriedly tried to shut down the sphere machine. Before they could pull the plug, an ugly splat was heard and machine stopped moving. However the lights still kept flashing red and the alert sound ringing.

Tomeo finally opened the sphere and horrifying, bloody sight met before everyone’s eyes; it was too gruesome to be described and he felt it would be burned in his mind forever. Callaghan shielded his eyes while he tried to help a devastated Iosama who fainted from shock; the assistants vomited and Ishioka could only stare with a paralyzed gaze.

While the rest were too busy trying to figure out what happened, Tomeo saw single white chrysanthemum falling off from Marys’ pocket, bloodied, lying next to her chunky, melted remains.

And familiar, cold chill—something he hasn’t felt in a long time—ran down his spine.

* * *

**Current day.**

Abigail sat frozen in her seat, horrified after learning what happened to her old friend. It even hurts her more when she learned her father was even involved with it too.

“Now I know why he was so adamant of me being part of Project Silent Sparrow at first,” she muttered. “He didn’t want to lose me in an accident the same way happened to Iosama and his daughter… And why he was furious at Alistair.”

“After that accident, we had the whole lab sealed off and remained quiet about it for a while,” Ishioka continued. “However, someone had told the higher-ups about the incident but Tomeo decide to take the full blame for unauthorized experiment and the accident that caused Marys death just to protect us. I don’t know what exactly happened to him after that…”

“I was the one who secretly helped Tomeo escaped from the authorities,” Stanwick elaborated. “And he has a reason why he ran.”

* * *

**Twelve years ago.**

Stanwick is sitting in his study at his home, talking to Tomeo.

“The higher-ups may have shut us down, but someone is still planning to use Izanami and Izanagi anyway,” Tomeo said. “I believe it was Mukuro. Remember he left his calling card that was found at the accident with Marys?”

“Mukuro? I thought he was gone for good,” Stanwick said in surprise. “How do you know he was involved with the Izanami Project and Marys’ death? It could be just an ordinary flower she was carrying in her pocket.”

Tomeo gave him a grim look. “I’ve interrogated the two assistants who were at the lab at the same day of the incident… Those two and Marys had been secretly demanded by a mysterious stranger to give him the Izanagi files when it was completed. But when that accident happened, the two assistants were too terrified to face Mukuro again.”

“Where are they now?” Stanwick demanded.

“One of them committed suicide while the other one is in the next room, wondering if you could protect her. She warned me that my life is danger since Mukuro is now targeting me.”

Stanwick rubbed his forehead. “And what about Mukuro…?”

“He hasn’t made a move yet, and I’m not going to stay in some prison and wait for him to kill me. I’ll be leaving San Fransokyo tonight while I’m still free. Tell the authorities a fake stories that I ran off with the important files and blueprints from the project. If Mukuro is targeting me, he will follow me and leave everyone else alone.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Stanwick asked.

Tomeo nodded, “I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Where will you go?”

“I have in-laws living in a different state. I’ll hide there for a while before going to the next until you clear my name, and then find and apprehend Mukuro.”

“And what about your sons, Tadashi and Hiro?”

Tomeo went quiet, his face heavy with sadness. “They’ll be taken care of… I trust my brother and my sister-in-law. I haven’t even returned home yet since the lab accident… I don’t want to leave them, but I can’t take them with me and endanger their lives.”

“You’re too selfless, Tomeo. You want to carry all the burdens and blame on you so nobody would get hurt… Be careful and contact me when you can.”

Stanwick opened up the drawer of his desk and hands a disc over to him. “Iosama, Callaghan, and Ishioka have the rest of the Izanagi files and the Izanami blueprints. Keep yours safe. … All four parts must never be whole.”

* * *

**Back in the current day.**

“It took many long years until I found enough evidence that he wasn’t solely responsible for Marys’ death, but he didn’t want to return to San Fransokyo yet.”

“Why?” Abigail asked.

“He was the one who warned me that Mukuro is starting a new Shiragiku,” Stanwick said. “And he wanted to find out more information while he’s still in hiding despite the dangers he could be facing.”

“Do you think Tomeo is your source and the one hiding in the organization?” Ishioka asked.

“No, it wasn’t him,” Stanwick said in a tone. “He stopped calling me one day for some reason. On his last message, he said he decided to return to San Fransokyo because he heard Mukuro was in the city. I had Abigail investigate what happened to him and I found out he had died.”

“How?” Ishioka demanded, clutching into fists.

“While the public believed it was Tadashi Hamada who died in the burning wreckage of the expo hall at SFIT, it was actually Tomeo whose burned body was mistaken for his son’s.”

“And his own file holding one-fourth of Izanagi’s system,” Ishioka says, “did he still have it?”

“We don’t know,” Abigail said. “He might have been carrying it with him but was burned up in the fire.”

She gave a tiny, sarcastic smile.

“I guess the good news is that Mukuro now won’t have a chance to activate Izanagi after all.”

“That is true,” Ishioka nodded in agreement. “What about the unfinished Izanami weapon? Was it eventually removed?”

“According to Alistair Krei, a second facility was built over the old one but I believe the weapon is still there. Right now, even the second facility was deserted after the incident with Project Silent Sparrow.”

“You mean to tell me that a superweapon is actually hidden somewhere in Akuma Island?” Abigail asked, her mind blown from the revelation.

“Akuma Island was always a man-made island and it’s the perfect place to build Izanami there,” Ishioka told her. “The old facility has been inaccessible for years.”

Stanwick checked his watch, which has a picture of Spider-Man.

“It’s getting late,” he stated. “I have to get home and start making arrangements at my family island. Abigail and I will be training Big Hero 6, and upgrade their gear while we’re at it. You should come with us when we’re ready to leave for the island. Not only you will be protected from Shiragiku, but your genius can help invent new weapons to stop the organization.”

“I’m afraid I cannot leave the city unattended,” Ishioka said. “I have too many obligations, and I’m too old and retired to do this superhero business again.”

“I’m older than you, but I’m still have enough strength to take one the bad guys, Owl Boy,” Stanwick grinned.

“Did you just call Dr. Ishioka… ‘Owl Boy’?” Abigail inquired, confused.

“It’s a nickname I gave him when he was part of Ronin Rangers.

“I thought it was weird when you told me your old codename was Captain Kingfisher,” Abigail muttered.

“Like I told you, Abby,” Stanwick reminded her. “All codenames for members of Ronin Rangers are avian-themed.”

“And like I told you… I REFUSE to be called Sparrow Girl!” Abigail cried in exasperation. “It’s so… corny!”

“Didn’t you want to be a superhero when you asked me to train you?”

“That was different!”

“I wasn’t called Owl Boy!” Ishioka pouted, blushing a little. “I was called something else.”

“But it means more or less the same thing, doesn’t it?”

Unbeknownst to the men, Abigail’s deductive mind began working. The Izanami Project started to develop in Akuma Island and that was also where the human experiments for the A.I. creation for Izanagi used to be held. Mukuro has been looking for Izanami’s blueprints lately, and she couldn’t help but think that Mukuro must have decided to visit the abandoned facility in Akuma Island at one point.

 _It’s time to do a little investigating,_ she thought.

* * *

_Eight-year-old Tadashi answered the phone immediately so the loud ringing wouldn’t wake his toddler brother who was sleeping on the couch. His heart leaped when he heard the voice of his father._

_“Dad, are you coming home today?” Tadashi asked, feeling hopeful._

_For two to three days a week, his dad would go on a trip to work on some scientific project; before that, he gives Tadashi enough money to buy some food and few necessities for him and Hiro to survive on. He always ends up apologizing repeatedly for leaving his sons behind and promising that he will return home soon._

_It’s been one week since his dad left and it wasn’t normal at all._

_“Tadashi, I’m sorry,” Tomeo apologized regretfully. “S-something bad happened and I’m going to visit your grandparents…”_

_The little boy continued, “Dad, Hiro is sick. I think it’s from the instant noodles he ate…”_

_“What, instant noodles?” Tomeo repeated, sounding surprised. “You’re spending the money I gave you on cheap food? … And what do you mean Hiro is sick?”_

_“Hiro has been throwing up and his skin’s getting hotter, and we don’t have any medicine” Tadashi answered. He heard his dad groaned in agony from the other end. Tadashi burst into tears and began pleading, “P-please don’t get mad! I’m sorry I didn’t buy proper food! Dad, come home… I’m scared, I don’t know what to do…”_

_“Nii-chan…” A weak mewl came from the couch. Little Hiro has just woken up and he’s trying to find his big brother. “Nii-chan, tummy hurts…”_

_“Tadashi, listen to me,” Tomeo consoled his crying son. “I can’t come home yet…”_

_“W-Why not?” Tadashi sniffled._

_“I can’t tell you, and I don’t have enough time,” Tomeo said. “I’m calling from the payphone near the bus stop. I’m going to try call Uncle Aiji and Aunt Cass. They’ll take care of you for a while until I get back. There’s one last thing I want to tell you and Hiro…”_

_“Nii-chan…!” Hiro whined in pain, clutching his stomach._

_Tadashi immediately drop the phone and hurried over to pick up his brother to comfort him. He tried to hurry back to the phone and hear what his dad had to say but he had already hung up…_

_Now both brothers are alone._

_Despite what their father said he will do, neither Uncle Aiji nor Aunt Cass came to fetch them for some reason. Another week passed and both boys became malnourished and weak due to poor diet. Hiro’s health kept declining to the point he’s growing delirious from hunger and fever. Tadashi helplessly watch his toddler brother, lying on the carpet of their bedroom, trying to eat his favorite gummi bear candy while muttering for their mother. All their dirty clothes and garbage have piled up in the living room._

_Tadashi knew his father isn’t going to come back and he decided to take matters in his own hands._

_He packed a few clothes into small bag as well the remaining money they had left and Hiro’s favorite toy robot. He remembered meeting his aunt a few times and whose new bakery is on the other side of the city. He felt scared walking and taking the bus over there without adult supervision. But the situation is now desperate._ _Hiro might die without aid; someone has to help Hiro…_

_He went over to Hiro, now sleeping, and gently nudged him. “Hiro, wake up,” Tadashi told him in a soft tone. “We’re going out.”_

_He noticed Hiro’s eyes were closed and his chest is rising too low. Fear filled him, and Tadashi nudged him again._

_“Hiro…?!”_

_“Nii-chan, no shake,” Hiro grumbled, pouting. He finally opened his tired eyes and Tadashi was relieved; he thought he was too late to save his brother._

_“You scared me,” Tadashi sighed. “Come on, we’re going to see Aunt Cass.”_

_“Auntie… ?” Hiro mumbled. His voice was like a dry husk._

_“Yeah, we-we’re going to her and she’ll give you a donut to eat,” Tadashi said. Even though he’s still a little boy, he has to be strong form his brother who now needs him more than ever. “And there’s Mochi you can play with…”_

_“I want… donut,” Hiro whispered. “… And pancakes…”_

_Tadashi chuckled, fighting back tears. “Yeah, let’s go to Aunt Cass! Come on, can you stand…?”_

_Hiro did his best to stand but he had no energy left. Tadashi then decided to carry him on his back. This pleased Hiro, who thinks the two are going on an adventure._

_“Piggyback,” the toddle giggled, playfully hugging Tadashi’s neck._

_“Hiro, stop. I can’t breathe!” Tadashi grunted, laughing as well. He gave Hiro his toy robot to hold on to._

_He paused outside the door, still scared of venturing out alone into the city without his parents to look after him. Except he won’t be alone, he has his brother._

_Tadashi inhaled, gathering courage. “You ready?”_

_“Yep,” Hiro nodded, he was still weak but his face seem to beam from renewed excitement._

_Then the two brothers, who are unaware about the dangerous surrounding their dad which led to his disappearance, left their home which they never returned._

* * *

“Karasu?”

Tadashi had been daydreaming his old memories which he hadn’t recalled for many years until recently. He was brought back to reality by Fujita’s voice.

He found himself in the training and simulation room, observing Shiragiku members practicing sparring one another. He saw Fujita and several Yokai Mooks, waiting for his instructions. Fujita has recently taken down a mook with just her bare hands.

“You aren’t watching,” Fujita told him, unimpressed. “Is it too boring for you?”

“No, I had a lot of things on my mind,” Tadashi muttered, shaking his head. “Anyways, that’s enough training for tonight.”

The Yokai Mooks left the training room but Fujita stayed behind to talk to Mukuro’s lieutenant.

“What’s up with you?” she demanded. “You’ve been oddly quiet ever since Komeiji brought you back.”

“It was nothing,” Tadashi grunted coldly.

Fujita’s frown was replaced by a smirk when she tapped his shoulder. “If you’re not busy right now, how about a little spar?”

Tadashi wasn’t that interested but he shrugged, accepting her request. “I’m supposed to go the underground lab to work on the Mimicroids with Iosama,” he told her. He smiled a little behind his face mask. “But I can spare you five minutes.”

One minute later, Tadashi was now lying flat on his back flabbergasted at his quick defeat. Fujita was too fast for him. Instead of a smug smile, she looked a bit disappointed in him.

“You’re too distracted,” she scolded him as she stood above him. “We’ve sparred before and normally you would never hold back. You’re supposed to Mukuro’s right hand man.”

“I know that,” Tadashi said. “I guess I’ve been feeling a lot of stress lately.”

Fujita slowly crouched down on all fours and, to his mild astonishment, she pressed her lips against his mouth, kissing him through his mask. Tadashi didn’t object, he just lies down and lets her kiss him.

She pulled back and whispered into his ear, “How about I can help you relax?”

Without warning, Tadashi kicked her off him and she was now lying on the floor instead. Her face went red in anger as she watched him walk away.

“You ass!” she hissed.

“You got distracted,” Tadashi pointed it out, trying to suppress a smirk. “And I don’t do intimate stuff with anyone.”

Fujita sat up, rubbing her sore stomach. She kept glaring at him. “Why, you still have old feelings for that old flame you told me about?”

Tadashi’s mind briefly flash an image if a young girl, a high school junior with long hair tied in twin pigtails. The girl’s appearance had changed dramatically when they both entered college but she still loved to chew bubblegum and ride bikes.

“We broke up a long time ago,” Tadashi told her and then stepped into the elevator, going down. “I doubt if she even still feels the same for me.”

* * *

_Tadashi and Hiro stepped out of the bus next to the park. Tadashi ignored the odd looks from passerbys around him, who are staring at his dirty clothes and his sick-looking brother. Despite feeling tired, Tadashi continued to carry Hiro on his back and walked down a couple of blocks to find the street that leads to Aunt Cass’ home._

_“Nii-chan, can I play?” Hiro suddenly spoke up, pointing to a playground where several kids are playing._

_Tadashi thinks it’s a good time to take a break and lifts Hiro off him and sets him down on the sandbox. A couple of kids noticed the weird, awful smell coming from the young Hamada boy’s body and clothes which made them walk away._

_Hiro doesn’t care as he starts making sand hills while playing with his toy robot. Tadashi flopped on a bench nearby so he could rest. So far, everything went well and they’re almost halfway to their destination._

_His throat is parched and he saw a water fountain not so far away. As he takes a couple of cold, refreshing sips, he didn’t notice a big kid approaching the sandbox._

_“Hello,” Hiro looked up, seeing a kid of Asian descent and wearing glasses. He thinks this boy wants to play in the sandbox too. Hiro immediately became shy when he noticed a sneer on the boy’s face._

_The boy suddenly kicked sand into Hiro’s face. Hiro yelped in pain and dropped his toy. The boy immediately snatched the robot and dash off._

_Hiro realized his favorite toy was taken burst into loud cries. This alerted Tadashi who saw the bully running away with a familiar robot in his hand. Enraged, he immediately gave chase._

_“Give that back!” he shouted after the kid._

_The bespectacled bully looked back to stick his tongue at Tadashi—and was stopped by a tiny girl, with black hair cut into a bob, who rode her bike into him. He fell to the ground, groaning, and Tadashi ripped Hiro’s toy from his hand._

_“This is my brother’s toy, you thief!” Tadashi snarled._

_The girl who stopped the bully gave the latter a kick to his shoulder._

_“Ow! Okay, I’m sorry!” the bully cried. “I won’t do it again!”_

_“You better!” The girl said, putting on a tough face. “My sister’s bigger than you and she can kick your butt any day!”_

_Tadashi and the girl walked back to the sandbox where Hiro is; Tadashi noticed the girl is chewing on bubblegum to accentuate her tomboy look. Hiro was still crying hard with sand grains on his face and hair. Hiro stopped as soon Tadashi gave him his toy._

_“Are you okay, Hiro?” Tadashi asked. “Did that meanie hurt you?”_

_Hiro nodded, sniffling. Tadashi carefully cleaned the sand off his brother._

_“Don’t worry, if anyone hurts you, I’ll protect you,” he said._

_“When was the last time you took a bath?” the girl who helped Tadashi earlier asked, scrunching her nose as though she smell something disgusting._

_Tadashi blushed. He didn’t want to tell a complete stranger that the water supply had been cut off at his old home._

_The girl kneels down and takes out a gumball from her pocket, offering it to Hiro._

_“Here, this would make you feel better,” she said._

_“Hiro’s not supposed to eat hard gum yet,” Tadashi told her as he stopped Hiro from taking the candy. “But thank you anyway… Um, what’s your name?”_

_The girl replied, “I’m Sang-Hwa Park. What about you?”_

_“I’m Tadashi Hamada.”_

_The girl then takes out a small juicebox and offers it to Hiro. Tadashi allowed it and Hiro is happily sipping orange juice. Tadashi and Sang-hwa went to sit at the benc together while Hiro plays by himself. The two kids talked for a while and Tadashi realized it’s been a while he has talked to another kid, especially a girl. A really cute girl._

_“Your face is red, do you have a fever?” Sang-hwa asked curiously._

_“W-well, I did have a fever yesterday,” Tadashi admitted. “Hiro isn’t well either.”_

_Sang-hwa gasped. “Whaaaat? Then why aren’t you two at home getting rest? Where are your parents?”_

_Tadashi felt embarrassed but, at the same time, sad about this question. “Um, my mom’s gone… and my dad’s on a trip. He isn’t back yet.”_

_“I’m sorry about your mom,” Sang-hwa said quietly. “But you shouldn’t bring your brother out, you’ll make him sick more!”_

_Tadashi shrank away, feeling guilty. “I know… but I had to take him to my aunt.”_

_“Where does your aunt live?” Sang-hwa inquired. She seemed rather mature and responsible for her age._

_“Um… she lives at a bakery called the Lucky Kitty?”_

_“You mean, the Lucky Cat café? I know that place!” Sang-hwa exclaimed. “I can take you and Hiro there.”_

_“Really? Please, do!”_

_“We can make him sit in my bike’s basket if that’s okay with you.”_

_It took a while for Hiro to get used to sitting on the basket, complaining of the cramped space. As all three kids trek down the neighborhood together, Tadashi and Sang-hwa couldn’t help exchanging shy gazes to each other. It was a beginning of a friendship._

* * *

Meanwhile on the same day, Gogo went through her textbooks as Honey and Wasabi tutored her. All three friends are in Gogo’s room, doing a study group to get prepared for the final exams next week. Since it would take time for Hiro to rebuild new suits and weapons for them, everyone decide to focus on studying and catch up on other things in their personal lives.

“You’re improving a lot, Gogo!” Honey complimented her. “You might be able to ace your exams.”

“Whoa, don’t jinx it,” Wasabi warned her. “It’s too early to be celebrating.”

“Ugh, can we stop for a bit?” Gogo groaned, rubbing her forehead. “My head’s hurting. I feel like I’m ready to explode…”

Gogo’s bedroom door was kicked open and Fred walked in, carrying fresh pizza box.

“Yo, I brought food!” Fred announced happily.

“DAMMIT FRED, YOU ALMOST DESTROYED MY DOOR!” Gogo was ready to throttle the school mascot but Honey calmed her down.

“What did you get?” Wasabi asked, taking a peek inside the box. “It better not be Hawaiian…”

“It’s Hawaiian,” Fred replied.

Wasabi gagged, backing away. “You know I don’t like pineapples on my pizza.”

Gogo’s grandmother suddenly poked her head into the bedroom, her eyes full of hawk-like vigilance. “You kids better not be having an orgy,” she warned them.

“Grandma, go downstairs and watch your soaps,” Gogo pleaded.

Grandmother Park then walked away so Honey can close the door and give the group some privacy. Fred set the pizza box down on Gogo’s desk.

“Man, Gogo,” he said. “Your grandmother must have led an interesting life if she tells you not to have an orgy with your study group.”

Gogo threw a dirty look at him. “Shut up and hand me a slice.”

“Also,” Fred whips out a DVD from his backpack. “I thought we could all watch Deadpool together!”

“Without Hiro and Baymax?” Honey asked.

“It’s rated R and I heard it’s really violent. Mirin wanted to see that,” Wasabi said. “Besides, this is a study group, not a party. The final exams start on Monday and we can’t get any more distracted…”

“The DVD player is over there, Fred,” Gogo pointed towards her TV. “We can go back to studying after watching the movie.”

Wasabi facepalmed.

* * *

 _“HOLY CATS, REAL BOOBS AND VAGINAS!”_ Wasabi screamed, staring wide-eyed at a stripper club scene of the movie.

“As opposed to actual breasts and genitals in real-life?” Gogo asked, raising an eyebrow.

_“THIS IS DIFFERENT, GOGO! NOW I KNOW I WON’T BE SHOWING THIS TO MIRIN!”_

“This Weasel character sounds just like you, Freddie!” Honey commented, her eyes glued to the screen.

“Cool!” Fred exclaimed as he sit cross-legged on the floor. He then became visibly confused. “Guys, am I the only one who sees this old man who keeps popping up in almost every superhero movie?”

“Really? He must be a very popular cameo,” Honey said.

“Yeah! He just shows up in some random scenes, and he looks like my dad,” Fred rambled. “What’s up with that? Is he some weird clone, or he and my dad are the same guy?”

“Speaking of random scenes, I wouldn’t mind doing International Women’s Day,” Gogo snickered naughtily. Honey look scandalized while Wasabi just blushed so hard that he covered his face.

As they continued watching the movie, they heard a little sniffle from Fred. Everyone turned to see a fat tear leaking out from the corner of Fred’s eye.

“Freddie, are you alright?” Honey asked.

“I could be watching this movie with Stephanie… BUT SHE BROKE UP WITH ME!” Fred wailed. He fell sideways and curled into a fetal position.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry, Freddie.”

“She said I hide too many things from her and I don’t appreciate her interests,” Fred said, his lips quivering. “We were like the ultimate couple of the 21st century! … Am I just a terrible boyfriend?”

“No, man,” Wasabi shook his head. “You two are just different.”

“Well, we did rush into this relationship…” Fred muttered, glancing at the floor. “She’s the third girl who broke up with me in five months. I should be really upset, but I feel… used to it.”

“Fred, doesn’t it occur to you that you’re rebounding from one girl to another?” Gogo asked. “Maybe that’s why you keep having a new girlfriend, because you want someone to fill an empty space in your heart.”

Wasabi and Honey looked at her, genuinely surprised and proud of Gogo being patient and understanding with Fred.

“I think you should take a break from dating, and focus on other things,” Gogo suggested. “It might take a while to get over the breakup, but at least it won’t eat you away.”

Fred listened to this and he finally smiled. He sat up with a bounce.

“You’re right,” he said. “I’m gonna miss her and the fun times we had. But now I can do a lot of cool things I want to do by myself… starting a comic review series on the internet!”

“Whoa, he really bounced back to normal,” Honey whispered to Wasabi. Both of them sweat awkwardly. She then whispered to Gogo, “It was nice of you to help Freddie, Gogo.”

“Heh, I was like him once a long time ago when my ex and I broke up,” Gogo shrugged.

While she doesn’t want to admit it, Gogo still feels a yearning for Tadashi; when the two started college a year after they broke up, Gogo didn’t expect to become friends with the nerd again. She knows Tadashi wanted to get back with her—and she secretly wanted that too—but both are too busy with their majors to think about dating again. Not to mention, neither of them wanted to bring up their old past…

 _With the way things have changed recently between us_ , she thought. _It’s better I give up on him and just move on..._

* * *

Somewhere at a very luxurious villa located in the same upper-class neighborhood where Fred’s family estate is, a female assistant is busily jotting down notes and going through schedules for her boss.

“… And around 2:00 PM, you have a meeting with the CEO from Ishioka Industries to discuss the $5 million grant to support the aerospace engineering program at San Fransokyo Tech, as well as the funds for the company’s recent project…” Candace the secretary droned. She is in the backyard behind the villa, standing on the edge of a wide pool which is occupied by her sharp-nosed boss.

“Cancel it,” Alistair Krei ordered as he swam small laps around the pool.

“Sir, this the third time the CEO requested a meeting with you,” his secretary told him. “She and Dr. Ishioka wanted to get their island-sized airborne craft become finished by next year, which would benefit both Krei Tech and Ishioka Industries. She even convinced the governor to further invest funds into the project…”

“Well, I decided not be part of it, no matter what the price,” Krei said stubbornly. “You do remember the last time I was in an ambitious project, I had Akuma Island shut down and later had my company bankrupt from a mad man’s desire of revenge?”

“It won’t be the same like Project Silent Sparrow this time, sir...”

“I’m sorry, Candace, but I want to take things slow for now.”

A maid enters into the yard and informs the two that a visitor came to see Krei. The latter stops and climbs out of the pool. He dons on a bathrobe and quickly dries his hair.

“Tell them to come back tomorrow with an appointment,” Krei said, with his back to the entrance. He poured himself a glass of wine from a bottle, something he takes after a dip in the pool. As he takes his first sip, he did not see the visitor walking in. “I’m not seeing anyone tonight.”

“Is this how you treat an old friend, Alistair?” Abigail spoke up, a small smile on her lips.


	18. Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and Baymax went to visit Dr. Ishioka and Hiro remembers an old past. Meanwhile, a horrifying incident took Abigail by surprise.

**Chapter 17**

With tension rising as the final exams approach fast, the superhero team known as Big Hero 6 decided to focus more on studying. None of the four older kids barely noticed that their youngest member has a lot things on his plate. Hiro continued to vigilant watch on any huge criminal activity—Shiragiku-related, especially—on his monitor which he installed on his personal computer; at the same time, however, he has to come up with stronger and durable armor suits on top of his studying. His robot companion was concerned for his health as usual.

“I think it’s time you stop for the night,” Baymax told him. “It is almost three in the morning, and you have to wake up in four hours to get ready for classes.”

“I know, Baymax,” Hiro groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. “But I need to keep working. And I promised Dr. Ishioka that I’d invent a hi-tech suit…”

His desk is nearly covered by his school textbooks and notes, and drawings of various suit designs. His computer has several windows opened, one which has the map of the city which would pinpoint the location of a crime that could be solved by superheroes. Hiro has been multi-tasking for several hours his muscles are now stiff and aching.

Hiro yawned but this was a cue for Baymax. The soft-bodied nursebot gently placed a hand on Hiro’s shoulder and the boy’s hands stopped typing.

“I insist… your body and brain needs proper rest to rejuvenate,” he said.

Finally swayed by Baymax’s soothing voice, Hiro closed his books and shut off his computer. “Alrighty, you got a point,” he said.

He pulled himself away from his desk and flopped onto his bed. Baymax then tried to pull the blanket over his patient but Hiro stopped him.

“I can tuck myself in, buddy,” Hiro smiled. “But I appreciate the gesture.”

As Hiro got comfortable, something began poking his side. He pulled it out from under the blanket… it was Tadashi’s baseball cap, a little flattened.

Baymax was about to switch off the lights but he sensed Hiro’s mild sadness.

“What seems to be troubling you?” he asked, waddling closer to Hiro’s bed.

“It’s just Tadashi again,” Hiro sighed, staring at the cap and laying it on second pillow next to him.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Baymax asked. “It’s a healthy way to express your pain rather than bottling up your emotions.”

Hiro is glad he has Baymax back to listen to him and provide any assistance. Perhaps the robot can give him some guidance too.

“I’m scared,” Hiro admitted slowly. “I really don’t want to fight Tadashi. I’ll never understand why he works with Mukuro… I know I told him I’ll fight him the next time we meet, but… he’s still my brother. And the worst part is, I believe Tadashi won’t hesitate to kill me.”

“He won’t,” Baymax said. “When he worked on me years ago, Tadashi always talked about you and how you are important to him.”

“Yeah, but that was in the past, Baymax.” Hiro shuts his eyes, memories Tadashi attacking him and his friends in cold blood played in his mind. “My brother is no longer the same one I knew before…”

“His behavior has radically changed,” Baymax noted. “Do you remember his last words before he went into the fire?”

“Y-yeah… ‘Someone has to help,’ what about it?”

“Tadashi always helped everyone. I think it’s time someone has to help him too.”

Hiro opened his eyes and peered at Baymax. “Are you saying Tadashi is still trapped under Mukuro’s grip despite being his lieutenant?” he demanded.

“I don’t know exactly,” Baymax said. “In my brief time when I was taken, Tadashi was always the only one working on me. I’ve seen him suffering from his old injuries and psychological trauma… He may not show it, but he is suffering. He is my creator and I wish to provide him proper care.”

If there’s one thing Hiro respects about Baymax is that his compassion and desire to help everyone, even if they are strangers or enemies. Hiro looked over to the memorial shrine at his brother’s room which was built for Tadashi when he supposedly died. The cherry blossom waterglobe, an old belonging to his brother, was sitting on the table. It reminded him that memory where Tadashi showed it to him and how much it means to him…

* * *

_It was two years ago in Tadashi’s room and the two brothers have just finished their conversation about building their own company together._

_“Hiro, now that I’ve brought it up… what other rules does it take to be a Hamada brother?” Tadashi asked his little brother, while holding the cherry blossom waterglobe._

_“Rule 458: Hamada brothers gotta know when to think big,” Hiro recited one._

_Tadashi replied back, “Rule 459: Hamada brothers also gotta know when to think practical.”_

_“Hmm, what else…” Hiro thinks out loud. “Rule 302: Hamada brothers always share everything.”_

_“Rule 303: Except the bathroom.”_

_Tadashi snickered when he saw Hiro pouting. “Come on, Hiro, we’re not little kids anymore. We can’t take baths together.”_

_Hiro couldn’t help but sass back. “Rule 304: Hamada brothers must take bubble baths again in the future.”_

_“Rule 305: Hamada brothers must respect each other’s personal privacies.”_

_Hiro rolled his eyes and gave up. His face lit up when he remembered their number one rule._

_“And for Rule 1: Hamada Brothers don’t just reach for the stars. They reach for the flying cats!”_

_They both hear a low angry hiss. Mochi had just lazily wandered into their bedroom and is now shooting daggers at them._

_“Do you think he’s still angry that we put rocket boots in his feet?” Tadashi whispered to his brother, feeling a little nervous._

_“Mochi’s just being a sourpuss, bro. At least we didn’t try to blow him up and replace him with a robot version,” Hiro said. He crouches to playfully pet the cat’s head. “Isn’t that right, Mochi~?”_

_Mochi just runs away after throwing Hiro another dirty look._

_“Yep, he’s still angry,” Hiro mumbled._

_“While I do think our number one rule is important, I prefer the second rule,” Tadashi said. “Rule 2: Hamada brothers are best friends forever.”_

_Hiro smiled and couldn’t help snuggle close up to his brother, absorbing his warmth. “Rule 3: … Hamada brothers got each other’s backs.”_

* * *

“Baymax, I had regrets for not stopping Tadashi before he ran into the fire… This time, I won’t make the same mistake,” Hiro stated firmly. “We’re going to save my brother.”

Nodding to that solid determination, Baymax turns off the light and goes over to his charging station. Hiro closes his eyes and nods off to sleep… only to suddenly wake up a minute later.

“Hard light...! Why didn’t I think of that before?!” Hiro shouted, struck by a stroke of genius. “It might even work!”

He leaped out of his bed and turned the light on his desk again. Without pausing, he began designing an armor into his notebook. He didn’t see Baymax shaking his head a little.

“Unbelievable…” Baymax gave a robotic sigh.

Hiro barely had three hours of sleep but he was so excited to show off his invention idea to Dr. Ishioka after classes. He even shoved huge scoops of oatmeal into his mouth during breakfast.

“Slow down, Hiro!” Aunt Cass warned him. “You’re so like Mae when she was late for school…”

Soon Hiro almost started coughing but Baymax patted his back and gave Hiro orange juice to drink down pieces of oatmeal in his throat.

“Thanks, B-Baymax,” Hiro wheezed.

“Oh, no… that poor man,” Cass spoke up while reading the newspaper. “Shot in his own home…”

“Huh?” Hiro was about to examine the paper when a glance from the clock told him that he has to catch the early bus pretty soon. He gave his aunt a goodbye before he ran out of the house with Baymax, inside his portable suitcase, rolling after him.

Hiro and Baymax finally made it to school with several minutes to spare. The two then meet up with their friends at the robotics lab to tell them that their new suits will be printed and ready at their main base (aka Fred’s home) after his visit to Dr. Ishioka.

“The suits are still collapsible and I’ve put extra firmness in the pads,” Hiro added. “And possibly with the help of Dr. Ishioka’s tech, I might make a new, upgraded set with the designs I thought up last night.”

“That’s awesome, dude!” Fred exclaimed as he stares awe-struck at Hiro’s drawings. “I’m really digging this design!”

“You said you work on this last night?” Gogo asked. “Did you get some sleep?”

“I’ll nap during lunch hour,” Hiro shrugged.

“Anyways, Hiro,” Wasabi began as he pulled out a page from this morning’s newspaper. He looked serious. “The reason we gathered here because something bad has happened to Krei… Last night, someone shot him in his house.”

“What?” Hiro was taken aback. He then recalled his aunt talking about a similar incident earlier. “You’re kidding! Is he dead?!”

“N-no, he’s okay!” Honey said. “He’s at the hospital now, unconscious.”

“According to my sister, nothing of value was stolen,” Gogo said. “If it wasn’t a burglary, it could be something else…”

“Assassination,” Fred suggested.

“This is serious, Fred.”

“I am serious!” he protested. “His body was found floating in his pool, with his blood all around him. The only one who found him was his assistant but she didn’t see the killer! What’s even strange is that the mysterious shooter disappeared without a trace.”

“We have to talk his assistant,” Hiro said. “Maybe she saw something she didn’t realize…”

“Abigail called earlier and she told us that she’s on her way to be with him at the hospital,” Honey said. “She sounded pretty upset about what happened to him.”

“Here’s hoping Krei will get through alright,” Hiro sighed.

Their thoughts on the Krei Tech CEO were soon faded away since the group has other important things to worry about: their upcoming final exams and projects.

* * *

Meanwhile, Abigail Callaghan went up the receptionist’s desk at the hospital where Alistair Krei was taken. Her head is pounding and reeling from the news that he was shot. She had to make sure he was alright.

“I need to see Alistair Krei,” Abigail demanded, panting heavily. “Can you tell me what room he’s in?”

“I’m sorry, we only allow family members in,” the nurse told her.

“I’m his wife,” Abigail lied in a convincing tone. She could not leave after coming all the way here.

To her luck, the nurse believed her and gave her directions. Abigail came to a private room and saw Krei, pale and sleeping, in his bed. Filled with fondness, she came closer and gently touched his hand interlacing her fingers with his.

This wasn’t how she wanted their reunion to be… Abigail didn’t blame Krei for the accident for the Project Silent Sparrow, but she still kept her distant from him and he understood that. The two only shared a few formal conversations through phone calls ever since Abigail left San Fransokyo. Lately after her father’s murder, Abigail wanted to try to rekindle her relationship with Krei… especially since the two had some history together prior to Silent Sparrow.

Krei hasn’t woken up yet but Abigail is determined to stay and wait for him to open his eyes.

The door opened and three people entered. It was Krei’s assistant accompanied by two police officers. The assistant’s shock after seeing Abigail was changed into fear.

“You… What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“Candace? What are you talking about?” Abigail questioned.

“Abigail Callaghan,” one of the policeman came forward and grabbed her. “You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Alistair Krei.”

* * *

Back at SFIT after classes, Hiro headed to his lab where Baymax is waiting for him. Hiro ironed out the kinks in the robot’s system and structure after what Shiragiku has done to the nursebot. Then Hiro proceeded to create a prototype armor piece to impress Dr. Shiragiku…

A 3D structure was created and then outlined by bright lasers… Hiro broke down his spare microbots into smaller forms…

After a couple of hours, Hiro finally got what he hope could work. It was a metallic bracelet around a glove and it has a flat screen in the middle. Hiro fitted the glove and bracelet into his arm and he used his other hand to swipe the screen with his thumb. The screen glowed white and the bracelet created a solid white light, mixed with nano-sized microbots, which then formed into gauntlet around Hiro’s hand.

The next thing to do is to test the gauntlet’s quality. Hiro asked Baymax to hold up a wooden board for him. Hiro pulled back his hand, punched the board with the gauntlet and it caused a dent. The gauntlet flickered a bit, but no broken cracks was found.

“It works!” Hiro shouted with glee. “Baymax, I created an instant armor using solid light and microbot techs! They’re tough enough to handle impact, and versatile enough to use them. With more development, I can make a set of armor for our team… We gotta show this to Dr. Ishioka!”

* * *

“Mirin! You’re fourteen, don’t leave your dirty clothes on the floor!” Wasabi yelled as he threw clothes into a laundry basket.

Wasabi had just came home and he found his little sister is sitting on the couch, her eyes glued to the news on the television. Wasabi placed the basket in the corner to wash tomorrow.

“Mirin, I’m not going stay here long,” Wasabi said as he began pulling various healthy food from the fridge. “I have to go back to the school and… Mirin, are you listening to me?”

“Big bro, they almost caught the perp who tried to murder that Krei guy!” Mirin explained. “And it’s the daughter of that Callaghan teacher!”

Wasabi dropped an apple. “What?!”

The burly neatnik scrambled to see the news. According the reporter, Abigail Callaghan has escaped two police officers after she was found in the hospital room where the unconscious Alistair Krei is staying. New evidence has also been brought to the light and the news media is now showing a video from one of Krei’s security cameras. It showed a woman what clearly looks like to be Abigail entering into Krei’s home. The officers believed she came to the hospital to “finish the job” but she is now on the run.

Wasabi couldn’t believe Abigail was the one who shot Krei last night, and he thought she didn’t hold a grudge against the CEO. Abigail is their ally, and yet… Something doesn’t add up.

Wasabi left the apartment to make a private phone call to Gogo and told her what he just heard.

“You’re right,” Gogo said from the other line. “Something is fishy is going one.”

“Gogo, do you think we can still trust Abigail?” Wasabi asked. “She is Callaghan’s daughter…”

“Wasabi, she isn’t like her father. She doesn’t seem like the type who wanted revenge for the Silent Sparrow incident.”

“We didn’t think Callaghan wanted revenge either.”

Gogo sighed. “True. And that security video did show her at Krei’s home… If we see her at Fred's place tonight, we’ll demand an explanation.”

Wasabi agreed and then he hung up. He was about to reenter his home when a hand grabbed him from behind. He yelped, thinking it was robber or aggressive Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It was actually Abigail. She silently forced herself into Wasabi’s apartment and hid in the kitchen. Wasabi followed her while keeping an eye on Mirin who is still watching the TV.

“Let me say one thing,” Abigail lowered her voice so she wouldn’t be heard. “I didn’t shoot Alistair last night. In fact, I wasn’t even anywhere close to his home last night.”

“You weren’t? But you were caught on Krei’s security cameras…” Wasabi said.

“That wasn’t me,” Abigail shook her head. “It was someone who used a hi-tech disguise kit to masquerade as me. I believe it was an assassin from Shiragiku.”

“You know who they are?”

“Yeah, he used that very same disguise when he tried to steal the Izanami blueprints from Dr. Iosama. The assassin was your old friend… Tadashi.”

* * *

Hiro and Baymax are standing in front of the iron gate of the Ishioka Estate. Hiro went up to the electronic security speaker to let the scientist know he has arrived.

“Who is this?” a stern robotic voice asked. “Dr. Ishioka isn’t at home at the moment.”

“Rats…” Hiro was disappointed. “I guess we’ll come back tomorrow.”

“My detector saw a single person coming out from the building,” Baymax said, pointing at the mansion. “And he’s heading this way.”

“What?” Hiro squinted through the gates.

His heart elevated when Yasuo approach them. He is wearing a red, baggy cotton cardigan on his thin frame and jean pants which him appear skinnier.

“Hi, Hiro! And Baymax,” Yasuo greeted them and opened the iron gate to let them in. “The sentry-bot informed me of two visitors who wanted to talk to my dad. And then I saw you on the security camera.”

“Thanks for letting us in,” Hiro smiled at him. “And what do you mean ‘sentry-bot’?”

“My dad built a couple of robots programmed with offensive abilities for security purposes,” Yasuo explained as the three head towards the mansion. “My dad’s company mass-produced them for the military and ship them to other countries. They’re a bit extreme, but the ones we have at this place are only programmed to subdue trespassers.”

“That’s kinda neat,” Hiro said. “I like to see one in action.”

Yasuo began to twiddle his fingers nervously. “Hiro… since my dad won’t be home in an hour… d-do you want to hang out in my room and wait for him?”

Hiro wanted to hang out in Dr. Ishioka’s lab instead but he can wait a little longer.

Yasuo led Hiro and Baymax to the second floor of the mansion where his bedroom is. It’s bigger than Hiro’s bedroom with lots of space, and a tv across of Yasuo’s bed; the room has a white and blue color scheme, giving it a peaceful atmosphere. A table full of Yasuo’s medicine and inhaler is next to his bed; not far from the table is a wooden desk with a laptop on top of it. In the corner are a couple of unopened boxes and a small vacuum cleaner which Yasuo uses to clean his room.  On the wall is a wide holographic screen which Yasuo explained is a communication device. A few of Yasuo’s toys are sitting on top of a shelf of manga and video games.

“I like your room,” Hiro complimented Yasuo. “Could use a few posters.”

“Thanks,” Yasuo blushed a little. “I never brought someone to my room before…”

“Same thing for my room. Well, the bedroom I used to share with my brother,” Hiro said. “Aunt Cass gets a bit strict with us if we ever try inviting girls to our room.”

“My dad’s like that too,” Yasuo shrugs, “but with boys instead.”

Hiro didn’t notice that last part until it sinks to him. “… You like boys?” he asked.

Yasuo stared at him, eyes widen in fear as though Hiro might judge him.

“T-there’s nothing wrong with it!” Hiro stammered. “Aw geez, I’m sorry for sounding like an idiot…”

Hiro felt embarrassed for assuming that he made Yasuo uncomfortable, but the latter didn’t get angry.

“Oh no, I’m not mad,” Yasuo told him gently. “Actually… I was little concern that you might think less of me…”

“No way!” Hiro said. “You’re my friend! Who you like isn’t none of my business unless they hurt you.”

Yasuo beamed at him. “You’re so sweet, Hiro. I like you.”

Hiro’s chest began to swell with so much warmth he could explode and melt into a bubbling mess. At first, he thought it was nervousness, but it felt like something else which he couldn’t name. In fact, this strange giddy sensation happened right happened he learned about Yasuo’s preference.

Baymax slowly kept staring at the two boys, noticing a silent change in their heartbeats and a rising levels of dopamine.

“Anyways,” Yasuo timidly pointed his finger at his shelf. “I have some games you can play… Most of them are for the 3DS and PS Vita… Or if you want, you could watch a movie on the tv,” he mumbled. A startling expression came over his face. “Oh! I forgot to get you something to drink! You must be thirsty after coming all the way here! St-stay here!”

The boy immediately dashed off before Hiro can say anything. Hiro and Baymax just stood awkward alone in the room. Hiro then explored around the room while Baymax went to check the medicine on the table.

Hiro skimmed through the manga books curiously before looking at the toys; there’s a variety of plush stuffed dolls and cute robots. One particular toy caught Hiro’s eye: It’s a battery-powered humanoid robot with a blue body and legs, long red arms, and its head is a red and round with only a yellow visor for its entire face. On its body is red button that lights up the yellow visor when pressed.

Hiro recognizes the toy as Mighty Robot, or Mightybot for its nickname, a popular toy for little children years ago. He saw Fred owning one in his home and Hiro himself used to own one when he was very young; As it happened, it was his very favorite toy. Hiro remembered he kept a Mightybot toy for a few years until it he no longer have it for some reason.

“Aunt Cass must have accidentally thrown it out or it was broken,” Hiro thought out loud.

He picked up Yasuo’s Mightybot and played with it, reminiscing old childhood memories. He didn’t notice the toy was in a bad when one if its legs fell off and landed on the floor. He yelped in panic and picked up the leg. He tried to put back into the robot but it won’t click in place.

“Baymax, is there a glue nearby?” Hiro demanded, sweating. “I broke Yasuo’s toy!”

Baymax scanned around and opened a drawer from the desk. He pulled out a scotch tape.

“… That’ll do!”

Soon, Yasuo returned carrying two small cartons of chocolate milk and a bowl of gummi bears.

“I’m b-back,” Yasuo announced. “This is all I have at the moment… what’s going on?”

Hiro and Baymax were in the process of trying to tape the broken leg to the Mightybot and they both froze in their place. Now that they were caught, Hiro tried to explained what happened when he accidentally drop the toy robot… only for more of its limbs to break off on impact.

“AW CRAP!” Hiro screamed. He tried to apologize to Yasuo. “I didn’t mean it! I was just looking it at it and its leg broke off! I’m sorry for dropping it and breaking your stuff…”

Yasuo simply sets down the milk cartoons and candy bowl on the bed, bends down to pick up the toy pieces, and puts them back on the shelf. Yasuo now became depressed and it made Hiro feel worse.

“Yasuo, I’m… I’m sorry,” Hiro said in a low voice.

“You’re sorry?” Yasuo hissed in an icy tone. He glared at Hiro with tear-filled eyes. “That toy was very important to me! It was gift given to me after my mother died! It was the only thing that kept me company while I went through chemo when I was in the hospital!”

Hiro back away until he bumped against Baymax’s body. Hiro wanted to run and hide his face in shame. He just stood there, paralyzed by Yasuo’s anger. Already, his hopes and giddiness to get closer to this boy was quickly falling apart.

“I d-didn’t know,” Hiro stammered. “Had I known, I would never even touch it.”

Baymax spoke up for his friend. “Perhaps if you can give us some glue, we can try to put it back together,” he suggested kindly.

Yasuo’s body stopped trembling and he wiped away his tears. He went over to one of the boxes in the corner and quietly gave a bottle of glue to Hiro. Hiro felt extremely guilty as he picks up the toy pieces. He has to try to make up for Yasuo before their new friendship is ruined.

As soon Hiro picks up the leg of Mightybot, he noticed a handwritten word in permanent marker under its foot. The word is nearly faded but he could read it…

_Hi o._

Hiro paused, dumbfounded at this discovery. This must be one huge coincidence or the universe is pulling his leg. This couldn’t be the very same toy he used to own many years ago…

But he recognized the handwriting and he remembered writing his name under his toy’s foot to mark his ownership.

Then all the memories of how his Mightybot toy had disappeared came back to him at full blast…

After that accident with an animatronic during Hiro’s sixth birthday celebration at a family pizzeria, Hiro was taken to a hospital to get his hand mended and also to recover from a bad stomach ache and a sudden food poisoning from something he ate the restaurant.

Hiro was told that he would be staying overnight at the hospital. After Aunt Cass and Tadashi left to get his bed clothes, Hiro grew bored. He wanted someone to play with.

There was another boy who shared the same room with him but he kept fussing and crying for his parents, and no matter how much the nurses did their best to calm him down it doesn’t last long. And for some reason which Hiro didn’t realize, the boy lacked any hair on his head.

… Didn’t Yasuo say that he had chemotherapy when he was at a hospital?

“Yasuo,” Hiro began slowly. “Did you ever stayed at San Fransokyo’s Children Hospital before?”

Yasuo was confused about this question but after racking his brain, he soon remembers such a place.

“Yes, that’s where I had my chemo,” he replied. “What about it?”

“I think I know who gave this Mightybot to you,” Hiro stated. His heart is pounding again. “The person whose name is under this robot’s foot… It was me!”

Yasuo just stared at him, flabbergasted. “You’re trying to fool me, aren’t you?” he asked quietly.

“No!” Hiro stepped forward and showed the toy robot’s leg with his faded name. “Look at the name! I had a toy like this many years ago and I wrote my name on the very same foot! I spent a night at the hospital because I had a bad accident with my…”

“… Hand,” Yasuo finished his words. Realization now dawned upon him. Feeling ready to faint, he sat on the edge of his bed. “I remember there was this boy who had the wildest hair I ever seen… I remember he was nice to me even when I acted like a brat…”

* * *

_“Mamaaa,” Six-year-old Yasuo sobbed while he hid, curled into a fetal position, under the blankets. “I want my mama…”_

_He hated the hospital and its smell, and he hated the needles. All his hair has fallen off a week ago and the other kids in the hospital made fun of his baldness. At least he had his mother who visited him every day to keep him company and read him stories. His father made no effort to visit him at all. Then his mother stopped visiting and the doctor gravely told him that she was gone._

_He didn’t completely understand it back then, and why his mother left him. He was too weak and sick to leave the hospital. The nurses tried to comfort him but he shun them away._

_In a tantrum, Yasuo threw his pillow to the floor and cried harder. He wanted his mother to come through the door and hugged him like she always used too._

_“Hey!” A tiny voice cried out angrily._

_A boy his age named Hiro was the one who called out to him. Hiro is wearing a cask in his left hand and a pack of gummi bear candy in his right hand._

_“Stop being a big baby!” Hiro told him._

_“I’m n-not a b-baby!” Yasuo sniffed. “I want my mama!”_

_“Where is your mama?” Hiro asked, his anger fading away._

_Yasuo tried to explain, “The d-doctor said she couldn’t be with me anymore… and my papa went to see her be put in the ground… I don’t want my mama gone! I want her here!”_

_Hiro became sympathetic and he climbed out of his bed to comfort the weeping boy._

_“My mama’s gone too,” Hiro said. “As well as my papa.”_

_Yasuo blinked through his tears. “You don’t have a mama and papa anymore?”_

_“Yeah, but I got my brother and auntie,” Hiro replied happily. “So I’m not alone!”_

_“I don’t have a brother…” Yasuo mumbled, saddened by this fact._

_Hiro thought very hard with his tiny head until he got a bright idea. He goes to his bedside and picked up his favorite red-and-blue toy robot._

_“You can play with Mightybot!” he said, holding up the toy. “He’s the greatest robot in the entire world and fights evil robots! He’ll be your friend and you won’t be alone!”_

_Yasuo reluctantly took the toy and pressed the button. Mightybot’s visor lit up and he giggled at how cool it is._

_“Th-thank you,” he said shyly. “My name is Yasuo.”_

_“I’m Hiro,” the other boy said. He then holds up his gummi candy pack. “Do you like gummi bears?”_

* * *

Yasuo appeared ready to cry but for a happy reason. “No wonder I like those candies… You shared them with me.”

“And we talked and played with each other for a long time,” Hiro said, reminiscing with him excitedly. “I didn’t understand why you were bald back then until I learned about Leukemia.”

“I was so sick and weak,” Yasuo sighed. “I felt terrible most of the time but my mother was always there to make me feel better. I don’t know what would happened to me if you never came to my room…”

“I can’t believe we knew each other before,” Hiro said. He sat next to Yasuo. “I had blurry memories of that hospital and it didn’t bother me until now. I wished we kept in touch after we became separated.”

“But your gift did prevent me for being lonely at the hospital,” Yasuo smiled gratefully. “I had good memories of you for a while and it made the recovery didn’t hurt so bad... After my dad and I moved to Japan, however, I soon forgot about you. I was still sick and weak, so I was homeschooled for a long time until I started going to school when I was thirteen… By then, I had no experience socializing with other kids and I became lonely again.”

“I wished you grew up here in San Fransokyo instead,” Hiro said, trying not to blush. “We could have been great friends…”

“But we met again, right?” Yasuo gazed at him. “Now we have a lot of things to catch up.”

He then stopped smiling. “I’m sorry for being angry at you earlier… I want to make it up to you.”

“Hey, it’s no big deal!” Hiro protested. “I touched your stuff without permission and you have a right to be angry. Besides, you don’t need to do things for…”

“Hiro.” Yasuo stared at him, his face blank. “Would you like a kiss?”

Hiro fell off from the bed and shrieked, **“OH MY GAWD!”**

“You have fallen,” Baymax spoke up, stating the obvious.

Hiro stood up, surprised by the robot’s presence. Was Baymax watching them the entire time?

“Baymax, how long you’ve been standing there?”

“… About twenty minutes.”

Yasuo coughed nervously. “Sorry for asking that… It was too forward.”

“N-no!” Hiro shook his head. His cheeks are tinted in scarlet. “I’ll allow it!”

Yasuo blushed as well, but his eyes were twinkling with hope. He stood up and face Hiro. His thin hands carefully reach out and cup the sides of his friend’s face. Hiro nearly swoon just by the gentle touch of Hiro’s hands.

“Your heartrate is increasing, Hiro,” Baymax pointed it.

“Not now, Baymax!” Hiro whined.

Yasuo bit his lower lip. He whispered, “… Shoot. Oh, Hiro… I… I’m sorry.”

He lowered his hands and averted his gaze. Hiro was a little disappointed but he understood Yasuo’s feelings and tried to reassure him.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Hiro told him in a soft voice. “I understand if you’re not ready…”

“No, it’s not that,” Yasuo said, shaking his head. “Right now, I’m having a lot of confusing feelings about this. We just became friends and we found out we knew each other in the past… I’m worried that I might not be sincere to you. I’ve been lonely for a long time, I didn’t want to kiss you because I was desperate and you were nice to me. It felt wrong…” He lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry for sounding silly…”

“No, it’s not silly,” Hiro said. He placed a hand on Yasuo’s shoulder and made him look into his eyes. “Anyone would feel that way if they were in your shoes. It doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Yasuo smiled and threw himself into Hiro, embracing him. Hiro held his breath, the scent of Yasuo’s shampoo almost knocked him down; he remain on his feet and hugged him back.

“Hiro,” Yasuo whispered. “It must have been fate that brought us back together… Whatever it is, I’m just happy that you’re here with me. And we can be proper friends this time.”

“Me too,” Hiro whispered. He buried his face into Yasuo’s neck and inhaled his scent. He wanted stay like this longer...

Both teenagers were lost in their moment that they didn't see Baymax had left the room to give them some alone time. The nursebot was satisfied that Hiro has found someone who made him truly happy in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Oh my gosh, what is going on? Why does Shiragiku want Krei out of the way (heh rhymes)? Hiro is quickly developing romantic feelings for Yasuo, while at the same time worrying if he can try to help his brother... Let's cross fingers and hope everything turns out okay in the end!))


	19. Stronger and Faster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro has two family members get along, and Big Hero 6 encounters a dangerous foe.

**Chapter 18**

Before Hiro went down to Dr. Ishioka’s lab, he received an odd, but discomforting text message from Wasabi.

_We might have some problems. Abigail will explain more at Fred’s place tonight. Make sure Baymax is with you. If you see any of us approach you before you reach the mansion JUST RUN AWAY._

Hiro was confused what Wasabi meant by that last part but he assumes Abigail must have made him write it. The text message was driven to the back of his mind as he became more interested hanging out in Dr. Ishioka’s lab, but mostly spend time with an old forgotten childhood friend. He caught up to Yasuo and Baymax, who were waiting for him. The three then descend down to the basement until they stopped in front of a door.

Hiro twisted the doorknob but it didn’t turn. “Weird. It’s locked.”

“He keeps his lab locked at all times, even if he’s at home,” Yasuo muttered. “He doesn’t want anyone coming in and mess with his machines.”

“But he gave me permission to use his lab whenever I come here,” Hiro said. “I guess he forgot…”

Yasuo pulled out a rusty key from the pocket of his cardigan. “I found this spare in Dad’s study this morning. I’ll let you into the lab.”

He inserted the key and the door opened. Baymax entered first, followed by Hiro. However, Yasuo didn’t join them.

“What’s wrong?” Hiro asked. “You’re not going to join me?”

“Oh…” Yasuo fidgeted nervously. He glanced around, hoping his father won’t show up out of the blue. “I’m not supposed to be in his private lab… And besides, I would get in your way.”

“C’mon, you won’t stay too long,” Hiro insisted.

Yasuo reluctantly stood at the stairs before he entered the lab. He and Hiro carefully set up the computers and an advanced 3D machine. Hiro took out his notes and began recreating his light armor created by the combine tech of his microbots and Dr. Ishioka’s hard light. During this, he talked with Yasuo,

“So, you actually skip grades when you were little?” Yasuo asked as he watched Hiro move from one computer to another.

“Yeah, when I was five,” Hiro answered, his fingers tapping away rapidly on keyboards. “I even attended the same classes with my older brother.”

“But you were still the youngest. Doesn’t that make you feel… scared?”

“I was nervous at first. Then I soon realized I’m smarter than any one in my class, and I guess it turned me into a sassy smart-aleck.”

Yasuo chuckled. It took fifteen minutes for Hiro to produce more microbots, and another fifteen minutes to upgrade them with solid light technology. And then he has to work on design a piece of armor…

When he was done, Hiro don on a black belt with a built-in pull-ring lever.

“Um, Hiro…” Yasuo tried to find the right words to speak without insulting his friend. His expression couldn’t hide how unimpressed and confused he is. “… What does that do?”

“This is the Big Hero Driver! Check this out!”

Hiro pulled the ring and a bright purple light enveloped him. A purple chest armor, shoulder pads, gauntlets, kneepads, and boots covered his body. Hiro then whipped out an extra item a red visor attached to a purple earpiece communicator and wore it.

He then strikes a cool pose. Baymax gives him a thumbs up and Yasuo clapped politely.

“Wow, instant armor through transformation!” he exclaimed. “It’s like you’re… you’re…”

 _Super sentai?_ Hiro thought, grinning.

“… A magical girl,” Yasuo finished.

Hiro fell over.

Then the sound of someone clapping made them jump. They turn to see Dr. Ishioka who has seen Hiro’s superhero transformation.

“Hiro, Baymax,” he greeted them. “I didn’t know you were here. I’m glad to see you two anyway.”

Yasuo’s eyes widen in fear. “F-father, you’re home!”

“How did you get into my lab? I thought I had it locked.” Ishioka didn’t sound angry but his odd smile didn’t seem comforting.

“Oh, Yasuo found a spare key,” Hiro replied. He deactivated his hard-light suit. “Dr. Ishioka, don’t get mad at your son. I asked him to come to the lab with me.”

The scientist seemed to buy it. “What’s done is done. I’ll excuse you for now, Yasuo, but I hope you ask _permission_ next time.”

Yasuo lowered his head in shame.

Hiro defended his friend, trying to keep his temper cool. Before, he didn’t mind Ishioka’s aloof behavior towards his son; today, it was different.

“Dr. Ishioka,” Hiro began. “Your son really wanted to be in this lab. And… I think you shouldn’t ignore him.”

Ishioka look surprised and mildly irritated. “I wasn’t aware that I was such a bad father,” he said quietly.

“No, I didn’t imply anything that extreme! I just think family members who share similar interests should spend time together… and get to know another.”

Yasuo remained still and waited for his father to look away but his father’s gaze burned into him. The tense silence was broken by a noise; everyone turned to see Baymax standing by himself and staring at a metal bucket rolling near his feet which he accidentally knocked it over.

“Oh no,” the robot exclaimed.

“Be careful, Baymax,” Ishioka chuckled but he became a little serious. “It’s easy to get into deadly accidents here. I nearly lost Yasuo in one accident when he was a little boy.”

Hiro was shocked. So was Yasuo.

“What happened?” Hiro asked.

“He was two-years-old when he wandered into my lab,” Ishioka explained, glancing away from his son. “Back then, I was a little careless and I hadn’t locked the door… I was with my wife in the kitchen when we heard a loud noise. We rushed downstairs to see Yasuo had accidentally turned down a machine which shoots out a plasma laser. It was at its early prototype and it becomes dangerous if misused. Apparently, its lasers destroyed a tall shelf and the pieces fell over on a table… with Yasuo buried underneath it.”

Hiro was speechless and he could tell Yasuo was listening intently to this.

“I managed to shut off the machine and then my wife and I hurried to remove the rubble. Several minutes later, we found Yasuo crying and covered in dust. He has several small bruises but he was safe.”

“So, it’s that why you don’t want him in the lab since then?” Hiro asked.

“Yes,” Ishioka nodded. He sighed heavily before speaking to his son. “Yasuo, I might have been… a poor father to you. And I realized I acted used harsh discipline on you ever since we moved here.”

“I’m sure Yasuo understands that you didn’t mean that,” Hiro told him. “You guys should try talking one to each other…”

“F-father…?” Yasuo spoke up after being quiet for a while.

Ishioka turned around and saw Yasuo, who has decided to come out from hiding, shyly approaching him.

“I’m sorry… for coming down here without your permission,” Yasuo apologized in a tiny voice. “I just want… to work with you… even if I’m not as smart as you.”

Ishioka looked like he was in deep thought before he gave a warm smile to his son, something the latter hasn’t seen in years. He stepped forward and placed a hand on top of Yasuo’s head.

“Yasuo, do you want to see this project I’m working on?” Ishioka asked. “Maybe you can help me with it.”

“F-father, you mean that?” Yasuo asked, he couldn’t believe what he’s hearing.

“I feel you are suitable for this job, and your talents will really shine,” Ishioka said. “It would make me happy.”

Yasuo gave his dad an awkward smile. “I’ll d-do my best, father…”

Hiro couldn’t help but smile as well; Yasuo and his father still have some other issues to work out but the boundary between has finally broke down. He glanced down at the time in his cellphone and realized it’s almost time to meet up with his friends.”

“Hey, sir,” Hiro coughed, trying to get the scientist’s attention. “Baymax and I have to be somewhere else.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Ishioka said. “I was hoping I could see more of your new invention.”

“I’ve written them down in files on your computer so you can read them,” Hiro said. “It’s almost complete but the instant armor will be the first of a new hi-tech set of suits I’ll be planning to make for my team possibly soon.”

“Your genius and creativity are astounding as ever. I’ll see you next time,” Dr. Ishioka muttered. “Oh, is there a superhero meeting at your base?”

“Yeah,” Hiro nodded. “I’m going to give my friends their new suits, and then Abigail will talk to us.”

“Abigail, hmm…” Ishioka frowned lightly. “Didn’t you hear the news on the tv?”

“What news?” Hiro demanded.

“It appears your friend is a suspect for the attempted murder on Alistair Krei.”

“WHAT?!”

Thinking his friends are in danger, Hiro turned to his robot friend. “Baymax, we have to go now! She might attack our friends!”

“Before you confront her with wild accusations, stop and wait a moment,” Ishioka stopped him. “I’m not saying that she did the crime, but there’s a possibility that she was framed instead.”

“Oh… you have a point there,” Hiro said. “Wow, I jumped to conclusions… But what made you think she was framed?”

“I believe it was because a hidden enemy knew she’s close to your team, and also knew the fact she is related to your former enemy Professor Callaghan,” Ishioka said darkly. “By casting suspicions on her, it would cause paranoia and distrust among your teammates.”

“When you put it that way, that sounds like something what Shiragiku would do to tear our group apart,” Hiro said.  

“If Shiragiku is the one behind Krei’s attack, then I don’t want you and Baymax to leave and expose yourselves to any further attacks,” Ishioka said. “Let me drive you two to your base.”

“Sorry, Dr. Ishioka, it’s supposed to be us two without anyone else. Wasabi said so.”

“That’s too bad…” the scientist sighed. “You be careful then, Hiro.”

Hiro and Baymax left the lab and soon made their way towards the iron gates of the estate. The sky is now a faded grey and orange tint indicating it was now sunset.

“Hey! Wait up!” They heard Yasuo’s voice behind them.

Hiro and Baymax stopped and turned around. Yasuo soon caught up with them.  He crouched in front of the duo to catch his breath, his face flushed.

“Yasuo, are you okay?” Hiro asked, feeling worried. “Don’t exert yourself so much!”

Yasuo breathes from his inhaler and then nodded his head.

“Ha... Haaa… I have something to give you. It might help give you clues about Shiragiku,” Yasuo panted and stood up straight. He unzipped his fannypack and pulls out an old video tape. On the surface is a note with faded black letters written in Japanese kanji that translates to ‘Ronin Rangers’ Last Mission’.

“Ronin Rangers… That’s the old team your dad used to be in!” Hiro exclaimed.

“You know about them?”

“Just a little, all I know my dad and Fred’s dad worked with your dad… What does this have to do with Shiragiku?”

Yasuo explained, “I’m not a fighter, all I can do is hack and find information. I found this tape in the same place I found the extra key to dad’s lab... Maybe it holds vital information about M-Mukuro that you don’t know about.”

Hiro placed the video tape inside his bag. “Thank you, Yasuo. You don’t know how important it is to us.”

Yasuo rubs his arm and smiles a little. “I also… want to come with you to your base.”

“Huh?”

“I… I’ve never been to superhero m-meeting before,” Yasuo stammered. He blushed in embarrassment. “I promise to behave…”

“It’s no problem,” Hiro smiles.

“You don’t mind?”

“Your dad’s an old friend to Stanwick, so I don’t see a problem with you coming to the meeting.”

* * *

“Why is he here?” Gogo asked.

It was now evening when Hiro and Baymax arrived at the mansion. They met the rest of their teammates who were waiting for them at their usual meeting room. Yasuo sat shyly in the table, trying ignore everyone’s curious eyes on him.

“Where have you been, genius?” Gogo asked again. “We were wondering if you’re ever gonna show up. And why is Dr. Ishioka son with you?”

“Sorry, I got a little sidetracked when I went over to Ishioka’s house,” Hiro replied. “And I asked Yasuo to come along since we were childhood friends and our dads were friends too.”

“Aww, how sweet!” Honey said.

“Can we see our new suits now?” Fred demanded, clutching his pants in excitement.

“Hold your horses. There are more important things to address. Where’s Abigail?”

“Before you and Baymax arrived, she went to a guest room to rest a bit,” Honey said.

“Rest…?” Hiro look incredulous. “Didn’t she have something to tell us?”

“I think hearing Krei being shot and then getting framed for attempted murder must have put quite a stress on her…”

“So, it’s true then. Do we have any proof that it wasn’t her at Krei’s home last night?”

It was Wasabi’s turn to speak up. “Abigail told us it was someone using a hi-tech disguise kit to pretend to be her. She said the attacker also used the same disguise to fool Dr. Iosama.”

“Abigail thinks it was Tadashi who attacked Krei,” Gogo said.

Hiro froze but he kept his voice calm. “I see… I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like that.” He dropped his bag on the center table and sat in front of a monitor screen. “If Tadashi’s going to resort to dirty tricks to give him the advantage, we’ll throw it back to him.”

Hiro pressed a button and a wall split into the side to reveal a row of new superhero suits.

“Hiro… you just built a darker version of our old suits,” Wasabi said.

“I dunno, black with yellow accents look good,” Gogo said, impressed.

“COOOOL! I’M GONNA LOOK LIKE THE LEGENDARY EVIL CLONE OF KROGAR… GARKRO!” Fred shouted.

“That movie where Krogar fights Garkro was truly a masterpiece,” Yasuo piped up, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “Especially that scene where Krogar defeats him in a mock version of sumo wrestling.”

“… Hiro, your friend is making fun of my favorite childhood movie!” Fred whined.

Everyone soon put on their new suits, while Hiro explained how their upgraded weapons work and special abilities in their suits.

“… I’ve also added an anti-cloak visors that can see body heat so whenever tries to be invisible, we can find them,” he concluded.

“Now we can take on whatever Shiragiku dishes out!” Fred said inside his kaiju suit. He began flexing his arms next to Honey. “Oh yeah, Fredzilla’s got new brawn. Do I look strong, Honey Lemon?”

Honey checked him from head to toe. “Maybe?”

Hiro was back at the monitor, checking for Shiragiku’s recent activities. He then noticed a USB flash drive sticking out from the port.

“Was someone using this computer?” he asked.

“Yeah, Abigail was on it,” Fred answered. “She was trying to gain access to one of the parts of the Izanagi System, but it’s locked with a password.”

“Maybe I can try opening it,” Yasuo suggested.

He came over to the monitor and pulled out his palmtop. Hiro gave him the USB stick, Yasuo attached it to his computer and began to work.

“Cool! He’s a hacker!” Fred grinned.

“Are you sure he knows what he’s doing?” Gogo asked Hiro.

“He’s very good at his hobby,” Hiro replied.

“Someone must have placed a well-made security to prevent this file being opened,” Yasuo said, his eyebrows scrunching in concentration. “Looks like I have to remove the protection… and done! I found a password!”

All eyes glued on him as Yasuo carefully typed out one word.

“Hamada.”

The file immediately opened and Hiro looked at a jumble of numbers and letters that don’t make a lot of sense to him.

Everyone crowded around Yasuo while they stare at the name and the sinister-looking program.

“This looks a very complicated system,” Yasuo said softly. “Is this what my father has been working on years ago?”

“Hey, Yasuo. I have a favor,” Fred cleared his throat. “Since you can hack and all… There’s this guy I want you to prank--”

“Is that one of the incomplete parts for the Izanagi System?” a voice asked.

Hiro and the others saw Abigail standing behind them, all dressed in white.

“Abigail, you’re up from your nap?” Hiro asked. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Hiro, give me the file,” Abigail said in a monotone voice, holding her hand up. “We can’t leave it lying around and exposed.”

“Sorry, but we managed to open the file.”

Hiro closed the file and removed the USB stick. Before he could hand it over to her, Baymax suddenly stopped him using one hand on his hand his shoulder.

“Don’t give it her, this is not Abigail,” the robot said urgently.

Before Hiro can react, Abigail snatch the USB stick and sent a powerful kick to Baymax to everyone’s shock. Baymax’s body flew backwards and crashed against a wall.

“WHAT THE HECK?!” Wasabi shrieked.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing this!” Fred cried. “When did Abigail get stronger?!”

“I am not the real Abigail, Big Hero 6,” the fake Abigail announced, her voice now replaced by Mukuro’s deep, electronic voice.

She is now wearing a twisted smile and her eyes glowed red. She unzipped the top of her shirt to expose a bit of her chest and she plugged the USB stick into a port hidden deep under her skin.

“What you’re now looking at is a Mimicroid, a super-advanced android Shiragiku created to resemble humans,” Mukuro explained through the fake Abigail.

“Mukuro! What have you done to Abigail?!” Hiro yelled. “Where is she?!”

“I’ve done nothing to her,” Mukuro said. “In fact, she’s still on the run after the police tried to arrest her.”

“You mean… OH MY GOD!” Wasabi screamed. “SO THE ABIGAIL WHO MET UP WITH ME AND GOT EVERYONE TOGETHER WAS THE FAKE ONE.”

“So this is the same android who tried to shoot Krei last night?” Gogo demanded.

“You are smarter than you look,” Mukuro said. “It’s a shame your robot gave away the mimicroid’s true identity but at least I finally got all four parts to complete Izanagi. Now all what’s left is the blueprints for Izanami. And I want to thank you, Hiro, for opening the last file for me.”

“NO!”

Hiro tried to attack her to retrieve the USB stick. The Abigail Mimicroid’s right hand opened to reveal a plasma cannon located where her wrist would be. It fired a red plasma bolt at Hiro.

Gogo zipped over and grabbed Hiro out of the way of the attack. The plasma bolt hit the wall and it broke apart. The force knocked nearby teammates aside and scrambled back to their feet. Hiro rushed over to Yasuo’s side and pulled him to a safe corner to protect him from danger. Suddenly the alarm rang out and Hiro checked the security monitor and saw five blurry shadows that he couldn’t make out.

“Hiro, we have five people approaching the mansion,” Baymax said when he used his scanners. “All of them are male.”

“Guys, we’re getting more company!” Hiro called out. He turned to Yasuo. “Go find a place to hide!”

The Abigail Mimicroid quickly leaped through a wide hole on the wall, and sprout a pair of turbine-jet mechanical wings. She then zoomed up into the sky.

“We can’t let her escape!” Hiro shouted. He quickly jumped on Baymax’s back. “Let’s get her, Baymax!”

Suddenly, the Mimicroid was caught by grappling hook which stopped her from flying further. Everyone saw the hook belonged to Honey.

“Thanks for the grapple hook you added to my new purse, Hiro!” Honey shouted as she tried to hold the flying android down with her colorful chem-purse.

The fake Abigail tried to fly harder but the girly Honey Lemon won’t release her strong grip despite her thin frame. The Mimicroid was about to shoot Honey with another plasma bolt when Baymax, with Hiro on his back, came flying towards her and wrestle her down to the ground, destroying her wings.

While Baymax pinned her down, Hiro tried to remove the USB stick but was met by a strong electrical discharge from the port. At that moment, five baseball uniform-clad men popped out from the hedge and everyone recognized them as the intruders who gatecrashed the trade fair weeks ago.

“The San Fransokyo Ninjas have returned!” Wasabi cried.

“Well, Major League Baseball is still in season,” Fred cracked a joke.

Yasuo watched behind the fallen wall while Big Hero 6 engaged combat with the San Fransokyo Ninjas.

One SanFran Ninja tossed a baseball into the air and another ninja hit with a baseball bat. The ball engulfed into flames as it shoot towards Honey like a ticking meteor. Gogo ducked behind a pillar as the ball exploded into a vase. One of the batters attacked Wasabi with a bat now weaponized as a sawblade. Wasabi blocked the rapid circling blades with his plasma lasers and he watched sparks fly. Honey tried to assist him but she was stopped by a razor sharp baseball card in her path. She looked up and saw a SanFran Ninja standing on top of the garden wall and began throwing more cards at her. Fred went after another batter who just created a dust cloud and to obscure his vision.

Hiro ignored the electrical discharge and finally forced the USB stick out from the port of the Mimicroid’s body.

“COMBAT MODE ACTIVATING,” the fake Abigail said in an electronic voice. “3, 2 1…”

She struck a fist straight into Baymax’s chest which blew him backwards several feet. Hiro fell off from his ride and saw the Mimicroid charging at the two in rapid speed.

“Baymax, rocket fist!” Hiro ordered.

Baymax fired his fist at the android but to Hiro’s shock, the fake Abigail knocked it aside easily like it was a fly and then dragged Baymax’s body against the ground and shoved him into the fountain of the estate.

“Baymax!” Hiro yelled over the dust.

* * *

Meanwhile, the team has split up. Gogo ran into the tennis court to chase after the ninja pitcher. She stopped and saw ninja has set up the pitching machine.

“You’ve fallen into my trap: Fastball Meteor Overload!” he sneered. He started the machine and it began shooting exploding baseballs that were fast than a blink of a human eye.

Gogo activated a special ability in her upgraded suit which made her move incredibly fast that time seem to slow down around her. Gogo saw a ball aiming right to her face but she casually pushed it aside. She then grabbed the ninja, who was unaware what’s happening and put him in the previous spot where she was. And for good added measure, she tied him up with a garden hose.

When her suit revert back to normal time, she watched the SanFran ninja standing and tied up in confusion before being pummeled by baseballs which exploded on impact. She walked over the sooty fallen foe and checked his pulse. There was a faint beat and she relieved to see that he’ll live another day.

* * *

Wasabi was kicked to the ground but he narrowly avoided the bat’s saw. He tried to cut through the SanFran batter’s costume but it was so tough it only landed a scratch.

“You’ll never cut my armor!” The batter told him. “I am the most invincible guy in our team!”

He then separated the handle and the upper half of the bat apart to reveal a long iron chain. He began swinging the saw-bat in huge circles, tearing apart plants and vases nearby. Wasabi couldn’t even come near him. The batter swing the bat at Wasabi and the saw left a gash in his arm. The batter swung again but Wasabi dodged it this time.

Wasabi flinched in pain as blood leak from his body suit. He tried to come up with a strategy to defeat this annoying foe. He turn on his visor and look for hidden weak spots in the armor. He transferred the information to his gauntlet and with a whipping movement from his arm, he ejected a curve plasma bade from the gauntlet and wait for it to hit the SanFran ninja.

The blade broke apart into smaller plasma blades and it struck at each joint of the ninja’s armor. The batter saw his armor fall into pieces and he became enraged.

“Who cares about protection when I have my bat?!” he screamed.

He swung the saw-bat down but Wasabi moved out of the way and sliced the chain link with another laser. And then he punched the batter, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Meanwhile, the SanFran Ninja with the razor baseball cards has been shooting at a pink chemical orb which is protecting Honey Lemon. The orb itself is covered in long cracks, indicating it’ll be broken down soon.

“Come out, pretty!” he called. “You can’t hide forever!”

His last card finally broke the orb. To his surprise, Honey was waiting for this moment to strike. She has converted her chem-purse into a missile launcher and she was wearing a weaponized face mask. The ninja, feeling cowardly, decides to make a run for it. Honey fired a chem-filled missile—with a design of a cute cat—and it struck the fleeing ninja. The SanFran Ninja fell off the wall and landed in the ground, covered in in powdery concoction. For some reason, he’s unharmed.

“Ha! Is that the best you got?” he laughed. He jumped back on his feet and ran back to Honey, with more razor cards in his hand. “I’ll slice you into ribbons.”

“That’s odd,” Honey mused out loud. “It should have kicked in by now…”

The ninja felt a sharp burning sensation in his body and he suddenly froze, his cards just a foot away from Honey.

“This weapon doesn’t blast things apart,” Honey explained politely, still holding her cute missile launcher. “It can either shoot acids to melt steel, flammable gas matter, or chemicals that contain toxins that can paralyze anyone’s nervous system if inhaled. To make things more interesting, all the projectiles are random… You should thank your lucky stars that you didn’t get the lethal one.”

The SanFran ninja who was paralyzed fell over. His body remained stiff and he started drooling. Honey decided to find a bucket of water.

* * *

In another fight, two more SanFran batters kept bashing their bats against Fred’s kaiju costume body. Fred blocked their attacks but he could still feel their blows. He decides to try out one of the new abilities of his upgraded suit Hiro showed him.

“I’ll save the best for last,” he said to himself.

He moved in rapid circles, swing his claws around to push the ninjas back.

“BURNING TRI ATTACK!”

He then fired three fire balls at one ninja in simultaneous triangle effect. The ninja wasn’t so lucky and he took the hit. Fred shot another fireball at the next ninja but the latter hit it back to him with his bat. The fire ball struck in the middle of the costume’s head and Fred fell back. The batter then pulled Fred out from the kaiju costume; for some reason, Fred was wearing his own supersuit. It resemble Hiro’s but with bright blue colors with white accents, short sleeves and white gloves and boots.

“Thought you could cook me up, huh?” The SanFran batter spat at Fred’s face and threw him to the ground. He then began viciously striking Fred down with his helmet. Fred couldn’t protect himself so he decide to activate his next ability… the coolest thing he asked Hiro to build for him.

“What’s wrong, you gonna cry?” The batter asked in a mocking tone after he stopped hitting him. He heard something rising behind him and looked around just in time to see Fred’s kauji costume suddenly moving on its own and smacking him away.

Fred began to flex his body into cool poses while his costume mimicked his actions probably controlled by him.

“It’s really cool controlling monsters,” Fred said, grinning and tapping the side of his neurotransmitter helmet. “But I want to see my monsters taking down my enemies. This idea was inspired by Hiro’s tiny robots, I asked him to create something bigger for me.”

In front of the SanFran Ninja’s eyes, Fred’s controlled suit suddenly swelled and became three times bigger than its normal size. With its towering huge form, it looked like a real kaiju. Fred swung hand down and the kaiju suit copied his attack. The ninja scream but he was crushed under the weight of the clawed hand. He was knocked out too and his weapon was smashed to pieces.

“Oh-yeah!” Fred whooped, punching the air with his waist. “That was awesome!”

* * *

Back with Baymax’s fight, the Mimicroid pretending to be Abigail cling on to his back and has got the nursebot into a strong headlock. The nursebot couldn’t even pull her off him.

“ALLIES DOWN. ENEMY TOO STRONG. I WILL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME. SELF-DESTRUCT IN FIVE SECONDS,” the fake Abigail spoke in an emotionless voice. “5… 4…”

Suddenly, an electrical attack stopped her and short-circuited her. The android fell to the ground, right in front of Hiro holding up his electro-glove. The Mimicroid shakily raised a hand cannon at Hiro but Baymax ripped it off before she could fire. Wires and metal poked out from the android’s torn shoulder.

“Baymax, are you okay?” Hiro asked.

“I’m fine, Hiro, but it’s usually my job to ask if you’re injured or not,” Baymax replied. “I’m sorry for tearing off Abigail’s hand.”

“Nah. It’s okay, buddy…”

However, Hiro was thinking how that was the second time Baymax strangely acting violent when someone tried to hurt him. First, it was Yama and now an android. Hiro knows Baymax would never hurt anyone out of a murderous desire.

* * *

Stanwick and Heathcliff arrived at the scene and gaze at the destruction before them.

“Welp, looks like I’ll have to hire more cleaning staff,” Stanwick sighed. Heathcliff pulled out a broom and began cleaning anyway.

Hiro and his team rounded up all the fallen San Fransokyo Ninjas and tied them up. Stanwick walked over the remains of the Abigail android and inspected it.

“I can’t believe Mukuro used a robot to fool you kids,” Stanwick said. “When Heathcliff informed me that Abigail was at the mansion trying to access the last part of the Izanagi System, I knew something was wrong.”

“Sir, do you know where Abigail is?” Hiro inquired.

“I do,” he replied. “Don’t worry, she is safe but she won’t return to the mansion for a while. Last time we talked on the phone, she was going to investigate any shady activities that are happening in Krei Tech and Ishioka Industries.”

“What?”

“You see this android?” Stanwick pointed to the Mimicroid. “Only Ishioka Industries create realistic human robots like this. Both Ishioka Industries and Krei Tech are responsible creating highly advanced technology prominent in San Fransokyo. Shiragiku’s return happened right after the two companies formed a merger when Krei Tech almost went bankrupt. Abigail believes it might not be a coincidence.”

“You think Shiragiku might have influence the merger?” Hiro demanded.

“That explains where Shiragiku go all their tech!” Fred exclaimed. “They even weaponized Krei’s portal invention!”

“Maybe Krei was attacked because he knows something,” Honey suggested. “And Shiragiku wanted to silence him.”

Suddenly, the Mimicroid jerked. Everyone prepared to fight it but then they heard Mukuro’s voice from the robot’s voicebox.

“I congratulate you for taking down the San Fransokyo Ninjas, Big Hero 6,” he said. “But they were just a warm-up for you. In exact twenty-fours, my top officers and I will arrive at the estate and tear down every inch the mansion to find the Izanami blueprints. I know you have still have the blueprints with you, Stanwick, and if you try to take it far away from me. My officers will hunt you or anyone involved with you down. But they won’t kill you immediately… Be ready in twenty-fours.”

Then the Abigail android went dead this time. Hiro saw his friends were nervous but there was determination in their face. Now they know there’s a big battle coming tomorrow night and he and his friends must be ready. And for the first time, Hiro will be facing off with Shiragiku’s notorious leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((It's been a long time since the last update and I apologize! I've been busy lately with my personal life combined with near non-existant motivation and laziness writing this fanfic. Hope you enjoy this chapter!))


	20. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Hiro and his friends prepare for the upcoming battle with Shiragiku, terrible truths start to unravel...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but anyways... Happy 2nd anniversary for Big Hero 6!))

**Chapter 19**

Under orders of Hiro, Baymax dropped the tied up San Fransokyo Ninjas at the police station. The cops didn't ask questions about where and how the flying robot brought them former baseball players but they arrested them anyways after learning they worked for Mukuro.

On the other side of the city, Abigail Callaghan--unaware of a battle that happened in Stanwick's estate--was occupied on other things. She had been surveilling for any suspicious activity from the top of roof of a building across the street where the main offices of Krei Tech Industries located. Ever since the attempted murder of Alistair Krei, Abigail wondered if someone from his company was involved with Shiragiku in secret.

It was after nine in the evening when a mysterious truck parked at the back of the offices. Abigail adjusted her hi-tech binoculars and spotted a couple of kabuki-masked Shiragiku members climbing out of the truck. A back door opened and Krei's secretary came out to greet them.  
Abigail hated how right her hunch is.

She couldn't hear what Krei's secretary was saying, so she decided to get closer. When the two mooks followed the secretary inside the building, Abigail activated her artificial wings and silently swooped down towards the truck.

A third Yokai mook, female-shaped, opened the truck from the inside, ready to help load some stuff. Abigail swiftly knocked her out and hid her behind a small wall. Thinking the truck will head straight to Shiragiku's main base, Abigail removed the unconscious' mook clothes and wore them, while keeping her flight and combat gear hidden.

She hurried back the the truck just in time for the other two Yokai mooks to return carrying a heavy wooden crate.

"Once again, we're thrilled you're finally working with us," one of them said to Krei's secretary. "At least you have more sense than your boss."

"You finally got what you want, Krei Tech's full support," the woman snarled. Her eyes burned with anger behind her glasses. "First you people blackmailed and shot my boss, and then you made me frame my best friend... You people of Shiragiku are nothing but scum."

Abigail couldn't believe what she just heard. So, Krei had been threatened to work with a criminal organization, allowing the company to provide them resources for their weapons. Abigail couldn't let Shiragiku get away with this. After loading the crate into the truck, Abigail sat with the Yokai mooks, pretending she was one of them. The truck then drove away and the young woman felt the tension rising as she waited for the vehicle to reach its destination.

* * *

After half an hour of driving, the truck came to a stop. Abigail wanted to ask questions but she kept quiet so not to give her voice away. The truck jerked forward and moved again and Abigail heard a rushing, whirling noise around the truck outside. It sounded like a vortex of winds rapidly moving and Abigail realized she has heard of this sound before...

The truck finally stopped and Abigail joined with the others as they stepped out. Abigail found herself in a huge hangar and across her is a huge ring portal shutting off.

 _So, that's how Shiragiku was able to get away and remain hidden,_ she thought. _They used Krei's portal technology. Hiro mentioned it to me before... But where am I?_

Abigail felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned to find a Yokai mook facing her.

"You're wanted at the lower labs, newbie," he told her. "Karasu's orders."

"Oh, right!" Abigail cleared her throat and nodded. "I'll head there... Where was it again?"

"You've been with us for a week and you forgot already?" The Yokai mook sighed in frustration. He points a finger somewhere. "Look, follow those guys and they will lead you to the elevator leading underground. It's the last floor, you can't miss it."

"Thanks, sir!" Abigail dashed off before the other person gets suspicious.

She followed a small group of similar kabuki-masked peoples who were chatting loudly and making rude remarks. She realized they are actually teenagers, probably a little older than Hiro. Mukuro would recruit anyone into Shiragiku, no matter how young they are.

They walked down a long hall and entered into a large elevator. Abigail stood in front, trying not to glance at the delinquents behind her. She felt a hand grabbed her ass and the group snickered when they heard her gasp.

"What's wrong, baby?" The boy who grabbed her, asked in an anoying nasally voice. "Was I too rough?"

Rage filled Abigail but she remained stiff. She began to speak in a cool voice, "Not as rough when I visited your mother," she said, hiding a smug smile behind her mask.

The boy's companions oohed at the comeback. The masked youth became offended. The elevator then came a stop and the group filed out. However, the masked youth was the last one to leave and decided to insult Abigail for last laughs.

"I bet you'd be less of a cold bitch if you got fu--"

_**WHACK!** _

A punch hits him square in the jaw and he flew backwards. Abigail was holding up her fist.

"Sorry, I stopped listening to you," she told him calmly as the elevator doors closed. She felt a little guilty for punching a teenager, but he did harassed her and was inappropriate about it. She remembered her father telling her that she must always have dignity and she never forget his words.

 _Crap, I retaliated,_ she thought in a brief panic. _I have to try not to draw more attention to myself since I'm now in enemy's territory. I have to figure out where I am and find out what Shiragiku is planning._

The elevator came to a stop at the last floor and she stepped out. She came to a metal door which slide open for her. She found herself in a small section of a lab where the rest is separated by a huge wall of thick glass. Behind the glass, a man in dirty white lab coat was working on a huge computer connected to a row of six human-sized cylindar machines. Abigail recognized him from the back of his thinning hair.

She tried to open the glass door leading to the room but it can only be accessed by a password. She then knocked on the glass instead to get Dr. Iosama's attention.

"Hold it, I'm coming," Iosama muttered grumpily, getting up from his seat. His eyes were heavy and sunken due to lack of sleep. "Karasu sent you, right? Well, you can tell him the Mimicroids are ready..."

He opened the glass door and was surprised when the female Yokai mook grabbed his arm and quickly led him away.

"W-wait a sec! Where are you taking me?!"

"Dr. Iosama, it's me! Abigail!" Abigail removed her mask and gave him a wide smile. "I'm glad I found you. I thought Shiragiku would have disposed you already."

"Abigail, what are you doing here?" Iosama demanded, eyes bugged. "How did you even get here?"

"I just simply followed some Shiragiku members," she replied. "I'm getting you out of here. Do you know a way we can escape?"

"Well of course, there's another elevator that leads to outside of this island."

"Island?" Abigail repeated his last word. She was confused. "Where are we exactly?"

"You've been to this island before, but you've never stepped into this old facility since it has been abandoned for years," Iosama answered. "We're in Shiragiku's main base: Akuma Island."

"Akuma--No friggin' way!" Abigail was shocked. "This is where Shiragiku has been all this time?"

"Yes, and it's the perfect hideout far from the city," Iosama explained. "The organization has stolen Alistair Krei's portal technology to create temporary portals to travel from the island to San Fransokyo, and to evade the authorities."

"That would explain how they keep moving from one place to another."

"Listen, Abigail. Before we leave, I must tell you something important." Iosama's face was filled with fear and determination. "It's about Mukuro's plan."

"I know, he's going to build Izanami using the blueprints and the Izanagi System to destroy San Fransokyo, right?" Abigail asked. "Typical villain stuff."

Iosama shook his head. Sweat builds up on his face. "It's something far worse, something that allows him to play god..."

"What is it then?" Abigail demanded.

Before Iosama can reply they heard a small alarm ringing from his computer. Iosama checked the security video and saw Karasu and a couple of Yokai mooks standing in the elevator.

"They're coming here!" Iosama shouted. "They've realized you were an intruder!"

"Shit," Abigail cursed under hear breath. "I bet the little punk I punched earlier must have tipped them off..."

"The elevator is the only way out of this lab. There's no other exit!"

Abigail hurriedly glanced around for any means of escape and spotted an air vent at the corner behind a table. At a brief glance, it's big and wide enough for an adult...

The elevator doors slide open and Tadashi stepped out, followed by his lackeys.

"Karasu, Dr. Iosama is gone!" One of the mooks shouted.

"I can already see that," Tadashi said coldly. "If only you had informed earlier that the new recruit was acting strange before sending her down here..." He walked around the room and saw the air vent that has been forcefully opened. He peered into the narrow dark hole.

"The intruder and Dr. Iosama must have escaped through the vents!" Tadashi said. "Sound the alarm, we can't let them escape!"

He heard the sounds of kicking and bodies dropping behind him. He looked up and found his two lackeys lying one the floor. They are instantly knocked out.

Abigail was standing above them, with Dr. Iosama behind her. The two had been hiding inside a metal closet near the elevator. Before Tadashi could chase after them, Abigail closed the glass door on his face, locking him inside the room. Tadashi began kicking down the door and watched Abigail and Iosama rush into the elevator.

Tadashi hears his communicator ringing and he turns it on.

 _"How's Dr. Iosama? I heard that the Mimicroids are supposed to be finished,"_ he heard Mukuro' voice coming from the communicator.

"We got trouble," Tadashi said. "Abigail Callaghan was here and she got the scientist out."

_"I'm not asking for that... I was asking if the androids are finished."_

Tadashi checked the machines and the computer. "Yeah, they are," he told his boss.

 _"Good, we'll begin Operation Warlord as soon as possible,"_ Mukuro said in a satisfied tone.

"What about Callaghan and Dr. Iosama?"

_"Iosama must have already told her about Izanami's weapon. We can't let her leave and tell Big Hero 6. I've already informed the rest of Shiragiku officers to kill her and Iosama."_

Tadashi fell silent.

_"I almost forgot... I need you to come to San Fransokyo right now. I'll meet you at the usual place."_

"Why?"

_"There's one last thing I need to get out of the way before we commence Operation Warlord."_

Tadashi was still silent for a moment before slowly nodding his head. "... Alright."

* * *

Throughout Shiragiku's main base, every member from low to high rank are running around looking for the intruder and Dr. Iosama. Sirens kept ringing above them.

"Bro, if we find those two, we can blow them up!" Komeiji shouted in glee. The Banzai Brothers are running down a long hallway while carrying their mini-bazookas strapped onto their backs. "Mukuro gave us permission!"

"He even said he will reward those who find and kill them first!" Dominguez said.

"Like we'd let a pair of buffoons like you win," A female voice said.

Three blurs zoomed past them. The Fujitas are running faster on their skates and they look eager to catch the intruder.

"That first prize is ours!" Sayuri announced.

Far behind the Fujitas and the Banzai Brothers, Yama was running along and huffing.

"Oi! I'm Mukuro's right hand man!" he yelled. "I will kill them faster and get the reward first!"

* * *

Somewhere else in the facility, Abigail and Dr. Iosama crept out under a table covered in huge cloth. They were hiding in the mess hall and Abigail has discarded her disguise since it was now pointless.

"The coast is clear," Abigail said in a low voice. "We have to leave before the everyone comes back here. Dr. Iosama, you said you know an exit?"

"Yeah, it's not far from here," Iosama replied. "Abigail, I must tell you about Izanami..."

"You can tell me that after we're safe," she interrupted him. "As much as I want to hear about it, us getting out of enemy's territory alive is top priority. I don't want to see anyone else I care about die next."

Dr. Iosama couldn't help but smile; he mentally wished his old colleague Callaghan was still alive and see his brave, mature daughter right now.

Abigail and Iosama hurried out of the mess hall and Iosama showed her the way to their exit. They narrowly avoided Shiragiku guards and managed to reach the back area of the facility that has been isolated and closed off by the organization. At the far end of a long hall they found another elevator that has been boarded up.

"There it is! We're almost there!" Iosama shouted.

Abigail heard a metallic sound whirling towards her heard from behind. She activated half of her artifical wing and knocked it aside. The object was was a metal fan.

"Wow, that was close," Abigail said. "If I were an inch too slow, I'd be in serious trouble."

"Shoot, I almost had her pretty head off," Fujita grumbled. She and her sisters were the first to arrive.

"It's the Fujitas!" Abigail shouted. "Iosama, get behind me!"

"My turn!" Sayuri grinned and threw her spiky ball on chain at Abigail.

The latter blocked it with her second artifical wing but the force knocked her backwards. Abigail regained her composture and saw two of the Fujitas--Sayuri and Natsume--skating towards her. She reached into the pockets on her belt and pulled out two pairs of metal clackers. She twirled them quickly and shot them towards the approaching female villains. The clackers wrapped around their legs; Sayuri and Natsume tumbled down, knocking their heads together.

"Thank you, Joseph, for the idea of Clacker weapons," Abigail sighed. "You'll always be my favorite JoJo."

"Don't relax yet, you cretin!" Fuita snarled. She leaped over her fallen sisters and was prepared to attack Abigail with another metal fan.

Abigail covered her front with her artificial wings and to her shock, the wings were easily split into shred by the razor sharp fan. Before she can react, Fujita's fan sliced through her shoulder.

"Can't defend yourself anymore now, little bird," Fujita smirked.

Abigail surprised her by headbutting her. Fujita stumbled backwards, disoriented and in pain; Abigail then suckerpunched her right in the jaw, knocking her out instantly.

"You bitch!" Sayuri shrieked. "How dare you hurt our Big Sis Yuriko!"

A metal door came sliding down from the ceiling, separating Abigail from the Fujitas. Abigail carefully removed the metal fan lodged in the shoulder, grimacing, and walked over to Iosama.

"W-what did you do?" Abigail asked, hissing through the pain.

"I blocked them off," Iosama replied. He was standing next to a panel full of buttons. "This will give us more time to escape before more Shiragiku members arrive."

While Abigail took down the wooden boards from the elevator, Iosama began pressing more buttons. Soon, a low humming noise was heard from the elevator cab.

"Good, the old elevator is still working," Iosama said. "This will take us to the new facility above us."

"I could have use my wings to fly us out of this island," said Abigail. "Too bad that crazy lady destroyed them. What was her fan made off?"

The two are unaware that a hidden security camera is watching them. A figure hiding in the shadows has finally found the intruder and the missing scientist.

"You're not going to leave that easily," he giggled. "This entire room is my personal playground... of death!" He pressed a chubby finger on a button.

Suddenly, the floor under Abigail's feet shook. The trembling was so sudden and strong that it knocked her and Dr. Iosama down.

"W-what's going on?!" she screamed. "Is this a trap?!"

A section of the floor sank in ninety degrees angle. Iosama and Abigail found them selves readily sliding down towards the darkness. At that moment, the old elevator opened. Abigail was closer to it and she grabbed onto the elevator door with one hand. With another hand, she shot a grappling wire it caught onto sleeve of Iosama's coat. They are hanging along the slanted floor, trying not to fall into their possible deaths.

"Dr. Iosama, hang on!" Abigail grunted. She slowly and ferociously climbed into the elevator and used her legs to keep the doors from closing. The struggle is even putting a strain on her already wounded shoulder. She then tried to pull Iosama up but then she heard a cracking noise.

The slanted floor was about to break apart.

"Dr. Iosama, take my hand!" Abigail reach out a panicky hand for the scientist to grab.

Dr. Iosama's face was filled with calmness and sadness. He realized he wouldn't climb fast enough and he would be bringing Abigail down with him to unknown depths below.

"Abigail, this is for you," he began quietly. He used his free hand to reach into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook. He tossed it into the elevator. "Use it to take down Mukuro... for your father."

Abigail realized what he was going to do. She pulled the wire higher but she could feel her hands burning.

 _"No!"_ she shouted. _"Dr. Iosama, you can't do this...!"_

"Fly away without me, Little Abby."

That was Dr. Iosama's last words.

The floor broke off from the wall and the grappling wire was snapped apart from the force. Abigail watched Dr. Iosama's body disappeared into the dark depths followed by the elevator doors closing on her.

Her entire body was numb, she couldn't speak. She crawled to the corner of the elevator and sat with her head down.

"Damn it... Damn it, I couldn't save him," she finally muttered. Tears stream down her face. "Dad... I'm so sorry... W-what do I do now...?"

Her eyes caught Dr. Iosama's notebook; before he died, he had tossed it to her. It might hold some important information about Mukuro and his plans.

She slowly reached for it and opened it. She read carefully and her eyes couldn't get any wider. According to his notes, Izanami was build under a pretenses of a superweapon but in reality is a machine can rewrite "fate".

"What does that mean?" she wondered out loud. There was also other notes about Shiragiku's secrets. On the last page is the identity of their mysterious leader.

She was horrified and then enraged.

"Son of a bitch! It was him... !" she shouted to herself. "We were fooled! I have to warn Stanwick!"

She tried to turn on the communicator but the elevator car began to tremble. She hanged on and tried to figure out what happened. Her stomach sank when the car stopped moving up and began moving down rapidly. It was falling!

 _ **"NO!"**_ Abigail realized Shiragiku must have broke the cable to prevent her from escaping. She braced her body for the impact of instant death.

The elevator car soon slowed down after skidding down the shaft and it stopped. Abigail knew she has only a few moments before it falls again. Thinking quickly and calmly she accessed the elevator. She found the top door of the elevator. She pocketed the notebook and hurriedly climbed up. She tried forcing forced the top hatch to open but the elevator car started falling again.

"Come on, come oooon....!" she grunted. She cannot die here without Stanwick and Big Hero 6 knowing the truth. She opened the door and as soon she climbed through, she spotted a small metal box stuck to the elevator car.

It was ticking rapidly.

* * *

Outside, Yama and the others had just open the metal door blocking their path. They found a huge deep hole before them and they heard the shattering sound of the elevator car crashing and then blowing up.

"I guess the little bird's dead," Fujita grumbled. She was awake and now nursing a huge bruise on her forehead. She spat on the floor.

Yama, however, was disappointed. "We didn't even get to kill her ourselves," he grunted.

"Wait... who gets the reward?" Komeiji asked, acting confused.

Dominguez smacked his head.

* * *

Above the ground where the upper, abandoned facilty is. A door of one of the buildings slowly opened. Abigail, covered in dirt and blood, staggered out. She has barely survived the crash and explosion, and mustered all of her strength to climbed out of the elevator shaft using the cables. Some parts of her suit was already burned away.

 _"Those... b-bastards.."_ she coughed. _"I'll make them pay after murdering Iosama... But I have to... get back to the others first..."_

Abigail left the area and slowly head down the road leading towards the docks. It was still evening and there was no Shiragiku members walking around at this hour. She could feel her feet getting heavier each step.

 _"I must tell the others the truth... before it's too late,"_ she muttered, wheezing. She could feel Iosama's notebook inside her jacket; she must keep it safe and get it off from Akuma Island as soon as possible.

Seconds later, she collapsed on the grass, behind thick bushes near the road. She had no more strength to walk or even sit up. She succumbed to her wounds and fell unconscious in a heartbeat.

* * *

Back at Stanwick's estate in San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 are having dinner in Fred's room. They are still in their uniforms and recovering from their battle.

"Man, I can't believe we're having a slumber party!" Fred exclaimed as he filled his mouth with dumplings. Various Chinese food from a delivery his dad ordered are layed out on top of a coffee table. "We should do this more often!"

"It's not a real slumber party, Fred," Gogo scolded him. She and her friends had removed their helmets so they can eat properly. "It was Hiro's suggestion that we're staying over tonight."

"I was hoping we could use the weekend to study for the final exams this coming Monday," Wasbai sighed as he carefully picked apart apart his noodles.

"My parents weren't pleased when I told them that I'm staying over at a friend's place without giving them a two-day notice," Honey said.

"We can't just take off after knowing Mukuro and his cronies will return tomorrow night," Gogo told them. "Besides, what if they'll attack again and try to steal the blueprints earlier before that?"

"So, we're just gonna sit around like ducks and wait for them to get us?" Wasabi demanded.

"We don't have to," a voice said. Everyone looked up to see Hiro entering.

"Where's Baymax?" Honey asked.

"He's outside, watching out for more incoming intruders," Hiro answered. He sat down on the couch and grabbed a noodle box. "I've been helping Stanwick and Heathcliff set up defenses around the estate."

"Really? What are they?" Fred asked, leaning in excitedly.

"Nothing too special," Hiro shrugged, but he was smirking. "But it involves a lot of bullets. And hidden lasers."

"Hiro, what's the plan now?" Wasabi asked.

"Stanwick gave me this idea... Since Mukuro is coming tomorrow night, he'll be targeting this mansion. And he will get the impression the Izanami blueprints will still be here since the estate is heavily protected."

"What do you mean blueprints will still be here?"

"We're going to take blueprints far away from here."

All eyes are on Hiro.

"Knowing Mukuro, he'll be expecting this kind of tactic," Hiro explained. "What he won't know is which one of us will have the real blueprints." He then pulls out several fake blueprints (made by Stanwick), all rolled up. "Five each for five of us. Tomorrow night before Shiragiku arrives, we're gonna split up and flee as far as we can with the fake blueprints. Mukuro would be forced to separate his party, sending some after us while the rest stay to attack the mansion. And after we've dealt with our pursuers, we'll return to finish off Mukuro and his cronies."

"If we're going to be carrying fake blueprints, where are the real ones?" Gogo asked.

"I can't tell you, Stanwick was the one who hide it," Hiro shook his head. "But he says it's somewhere safe and close."

The room became silent and Hiro knows what his friends are feeling.

"I understand if some of you are scared," he said. "We'll be risking our lives to protect several fake blueprints to fool Mukuro, but this is the only plan we have right now. We either sit around and let Shiragiku make the first move, or flee and come up with a better plan."

"Do you think Stanwick and Heathcliff will be okay defending the mansion all by themselves?" Honey asked.

"My dad's an experienced superhero, he knows what he's doing," Fred said with conviction. "And Hiro, if we're going to do this plan--we're all in."

Everyone else nodded. Hiro was smiling but it was to hide his hidden fears...

Then he remembered someone.

"Hey, where's Yasuo anyway?" he asked. "He was hiding earlier during our previous battle. Why isn't he eating with us?"

Fred answered, "Oh, after Baymax left to take the San Fransokyo Ninjas to jail and you went off to help my dad, he went home."

"What?" Hiro's heart sunked. "Without letting me know...?"

"It's better he left, we can't let an innocent bystand get involved in this mess," Gogo said. "Why are you disappointed?"

Hiro blushed a bit. "I kind of wished he stayed longer... I just found out this afternoon that he was an old friend of mine."

"Old friend... OHHH!" Honey's mouth went into an O shape. "That makes sense now!"

Fred seems to be grinning while Wasabi and Gogo exchanged odd glances. Hiro was confused and mildly irritated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"I knew it," Fred grinned wider.

"It's kind of cute actually," Wasabi stated.

"Ah, to be fifteen and in love again," Gogo sighed.

"Sh-shut up! My feelings are mutual!" Hiro snapped, but he was blushing harder. "Honey, why are letting them tease me like this!"

"We should have let him stayed so he can give you goodnight kiss," Honey giggled.

Hiro shrieked in embarrassment. "I take it back, you're as bad as they are! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS!"

"B-by the way," Gogo snorts, "he left you his phone number." She holds up a scrap piece of paper full of numbers. Hiro took it and couldn't help feel giddy at the thought of listening to Yasuo's voice again.

"Hiro, there's no need to be embarrassed," Wasabi said. "We all know you have a crush, we can see it."

"If... if you tell Yasuo..." Hiro stammered. "I don't want to weird him out..."

"Chill, little man. We won't do anything to ruin it."

"Besides, Hiro," Honey spoke with sincerity, "we hope things will work out with you and Yasuo. You deserve a break after we deal with Shiragiku."

"So... you're not gonna object that I like a boy?" Hiro asked nervously.

"Hiro, you're talking to a girl who prefers other girls," Honey couldn't help but burst into giggles again.

"I kissed both boys and girls before," Gogo added.

"I don't mind who I date as long they like reptiles and movies," Fred stated.

"I'm... still figuring out about myself," Wasabi finished with a sweatdrop.

"Th... Thanks, guys," Hiro said with a smile. "Maybe after this all over, I might ask him out an a date."

Honey noticed a video tape sitting next to Hiro. "Hey, what's that tape?" she asked.

"Oh, this?" Hiro picked it up. "Yasuo gave it to me. I think it contains the last mission of Ronin Rangers. He says it might contain clues about Mukuro..."

"What are we waiting for? Let's play it then!" Fred said.

Hiro gave Fred the video tape and Fred pushed it into the VCR below his huge flatscreen TV. The video tape began playing but the screen only shows static.

"Nothing's showing. It must have been old," Gogo mumbled.

Fred forward the tape for several seconds until a clip appeared. It showed a young dark-haired Japanese man wearing thick-framed glasses. He was staring at into whatever is recording him while adjusting the camera angle. His face resembled a lot like Tadashi's but his hair is messy. Hiro recognized him.

"Th... That's my dad," Hiro pointed out. "He looked so younger than the photos Aunt Cass have of him."

 _"I hope it's working,"_ the young Tomeo mumbled. Then he sat down in front of the camera and cleared his throat. _"Well, this is it... Tomeo Hamada's 251st recording and probably his last. We're just about ready to take bust into the mansion where Mukuro is hiding. Kingfisher's waiting for me since I'm the only one left who knows how to pilot the robot..."_

Tomeo on the video sighed and rubbed his neck.

_"It's been five days since Daichi was taken from us. Mukuro could be torturing him as I speak... We should have never separated since our battle with Titaniac and Obake. God, I hope he'll still be alive when I found him... This might be Ronin Ranger's last assignment and I don't know if any of us will survive... I wonder if my parents and Aiji found the letter I wrote to them. Well... if this video tape is found after my death, I hope it will be given to them. I hope they'll understand why I'm never coming home. I don't have a lot of regrets except for two: to become a doctor to help many lives, and raise a lively family... I just realized I haven't said my goodbyes to Mae yet."_

Tomeo heard someone calling for his name off-screen. He hurried his message.

_"Alright, it's time. This is Tomeo Hamada signing off."_

Then the video went static. Everyone turned to see Hiro who still staring at the screen, tears filled in his eyes.

"Hiro, are you alright?" Honey placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Hiro wiped his tears away and puts on a small smile. "I'm okay... I'm gonna thank Yasuo for giving me this tape of my father."

"That last message of your father is sad," Gogo said. "But I'm still confused about how will it help us fight Mukuro."

"I forgot... Daichi was kidnapped that time when Tomeo made that video."

Everyone looked and saw Stanwick was standing behind the couch. He has seen the video too and his face was full grim seriousness.

"Dad, I didn't know you came in," Fred said in surprise.

"You said Dr. Ishioka was kidnapped. What happened that time?" Wasabi asked.

Stanwick rubbed his temple. "It was just Tomeo, Daichi, and myself who were out patrolling in Tokyo. We were ambushed by two our great enemies, Titaniac and Obake, who had allied themselves to Mukuro. During the heat of the battle, Daichi was separated from us and he went missing for a while... we found out later that Mukuro has kidnapped him."

"So, Ronin Rangers' last assignment was a rescue mission," Fred realized.

"Yeah, but we lost so many friends," Stanwick said. He began counting off names. "Sazai... Taka... Canary Cutie... In the end, I can only save Tomeo and Daichi."

"Odd... Ishioka never mentioned about that incident before," Hiro frowned a bit.

"Well, it was traumatic incident for him and he blamed himself for our companions' deaths. He still cares that guilt to this day."

"Poor man..." Honey said.

Hiro was quiet for a while. "It's not going to happen to us," he said with determination. "We're all going to be alive after we defeat Mukuro once and for all. We will avenge the deaths pf Ishioka's friends and my father's."

Stanwick was still thinking of the names of his old comrades out of nostalgia.

 _Kiji... Swallow Heart... Tomeo was called Karasu back then,_ Stanwick thought. _What an ironic twist that Tadashi took his father's codename. And then Daichi was Owl Boy..._

Stanwick paused.

_No, Daichi's codename was different. It means 'owl'... He was actually called Fu..._

Stanwick's eyes widened and his shades dropped in shock. He couldn't believe he didn't realize the truth that was plain in front of him. He retrieved his glasses and hurried out the room.

"Dad! Where are you going?" Fred shouted in worry.

"I have to check some things," Stanwick said. "In the mean time, you kids stay here and whatever happens, do NOT leave this mansion!"

* * *

It was now after midnight, and the members of Big Hero 6 are snoozing in spare sleeping bags in Fred's room. While his team mates are resting to prepare for their next battle, Hiro was the only one awake and sitting in front of a computer. His eyes are glazed over while he stares at the monitor and security cameras placed all over the estate.  
Baymax was in his charging station, keeping a close eye on Hiro.

"Your heart is beating rapidly than usual for the last ten minutes," he spoke up. "What seems to be troubling you?"

Hiro broke out of his bored trance and rubbed his tired eyes.

"I'm just... feeling a bit nervous, Baymax," he sighed. His eyebrows scrunched with worry. "I keep having this bad feeling that something terrible will happen. Not mention, we'll be finally facing Mukuro himself. Unlike our previous enemies, we don't know what he's capable of. Stanwick told me he's just as versatile as he was enigmatic which doesn't help a lot... My friends agreed with the plan to flee with fake blueprints to trick Mukuro, but I'm scared they won't even survive... Especially since we learned what happened to Ishioka's old friends."

"Hiro, we are all ready to give our lives when we become superheroes. You got to have more trust in us. Your friends are sleeping in the other room but they're ready to fight with you."

Hiro beamed at Baymax. His cellphone began beeping and when he saw the name of the person who was calling him, he immediately answered.

"Hello, Yasuo?" Hiro called.

 _"No, it's someone else,"_ a familiar voice answered back.

Hiro's blood turned to ice.

"Tadashi... ! Why did you have this number?"

 _"I just met a young boy walking home. He says he knows you very well,"_ Tadashi said in his usual cold voice. _"I didn't have my own phone with me so I'm borrowing his."_

"What did you do to Yasuo?!" Hiro nearly screamed.

_"Calm down, he's not hurt. Let us meet up at the junkyard in thirty minutes. The same place you infiltrated one of Shiragiku's meetings."_

"If you hurt him, big brother, I swear..."

 _"Oh, and come alone,"_ Tadashi interrupted him. _"And bring the Izanami blueprints in exchange for the Ishioka boy. Don't even try to bring Baymax. I promise things will turn out all right."_

"Is this a trap for me?"

_"Don't be ridiculous, I wouldn't do anything so cowardly."_

Hiro scoffed. "This is coming from Mukuro's lapdog."

_"... Thirty minutes, Hiro."_

Tadashi said nothing more and hung up. Hiro wasted no time putting on his helmet and grabbing his microbots and electro-gloves. He remembered Stanwick telling him not to leave the mansion but he feared something terrible will happen to Yasuo. He felt the same emotions his dad was feeling when his own best friend was taken.

"Baymax, Tadashi's got Yasuo!" Hiro told the robot. "He wants me to meet him at the junkyard in half an hour."

"I'll come with you," Baymax said. "I can get there faster by flying."

"No... it has to be me alone," Hiro said. His head was burning with panic and anger. This time, his brother crossed the line. "If things turn out wrong, I'll alert you through the communicator. Just stay here and guard the mansion and the others."

"What are you going to do, Hiro?"

The teen prodigy paused, but he hurried out the mansion without another word. Baymax watched his patient disappear into the night. The caregiver robot wasn't human, but he has enough knowledge to know how concerned he is for his friend.

* * *

It took Hiro twenty minutes to reach the junkyard and when he arrived, Tadashi was sitting on a wooden trunk waiting for him. He was alone and no sight of other Shiragiku members, but Hiro guessed they were just hiding.

"Ten minutes early," Tadashi stated. "I'm glad you're still punctual."

"Shut up!" Hiro yelled and pulled the blueprints out of his suit. "I brought the Izanami blueprints you wanted! Now where's Yasuo?!"

"Hold on," Tadashi stopped him. "I need to make sure you will not try to attack me. Remove your helmet that was controlling your microbots."

Hiro hesitated but he took off his purple helmet and dropped it to the ground; his tiny bots fell around him. Tadashi then holds up a hand, and Hiro hands him the rolled up blueprints. Tadashi stood up and walked several feet away so he could skim through the papers.

"Everything looks legit," Tadashi said, his eyes still glued on the paper. "Nothing seems off. You did good, Hiro."

 _You think it is real, but that's one of the fake blueprints Stanwick created since he knows what the real one looks like,_ Hiro thought smugly.

"You got what you wanted so where's Yasuo?!" Hiro demanded once more.

"He's not here," Tadashi told him.

"Yeah right!" Hiro snapped. "You kidnapped him, didn't you! That's why you called me!"

Hiro looked at the wooden trunk where Tadashi sat on earlier. Thinking Yasuo must be inside of it, he tore it open but it was empty.

 **"TADASHI, WHERE IS HE?!"** Hiro screamed.

"He's at his home, sleeing safe in his bed," Tadashi answered calmly. "I have no reason to harm him in any way."

**_"Stop lying to me!!"_ **

Hiro tried to punch his brother but Tadashi caught the fist with one hand and then pushed him away. He proceed to attack once more until Tadashi struck his face with one high knee attack. Hiro lay on the ground and shakily sat up. He then wiped the blood trickling from his mouth.

"Tadashi, don't be rough with him," a deep voice spoke up. "At least... not yet."

A tall figure stepped out from behind the corner, revealing himself to be a man wearing a demon mask and a long dark trenchcoat. It was Mukuro.

"Hello, Hiro," Mukuro greeted him. He placed his hands behind his back. "I believe this is our first meeting."

"M-Mukuro," Hiro threw him an angry look. "You killed my dad, didn't you?"

"Tadashi told you that? Well, I cannot lie his blood was on my hands."

Hate filled Hiro, and he activated both his electro-gloves. He rushed at Mukuro with an angry scream. Tadashi was about to protect his leader but Mukuro stepped forward.

"No, let me fight," he told him. "I'm going to show him the huge difference between us."

Hiro threw the first punch but he was blocked by a huge wall of solid light. It was constructed by a device from Mukuro's gloved hand. The impact knocked Hiro back but the young boy kept punching the solid wall rapidly, sending electrical sparks everywhere.

 _"Useless, useless, useless!"_ Mukuro cried, a hint of smugness and glee in his tone.

Mukuro constructed a spear and it phased through the light wall and pierce Hiro in the chest. Hiro was thrown backwards and landed several feet away. He coughed up for air and he checked his chest; his armor protected him but there was a big dent on it.

Hiro quickly reached for helmet, he must not only gain control of his microbots but get contact with Baymax and the others. A light pillar smashed the helmet just before Hiro could grab it.

"I'm not going to let you contact your friends, Hiro," Mukuro said. "I've checked for any backup near this junkyard. You are alone and there's no one to save you."  
Tadashi just silently stood nearby, his eyes shadowed by his hair.

Hiro tried to think what to do next when he was bombared by solid light bullets hitting every part of his body. He collapsed on the ground, moaning in pain. The bullets were blunt but they were powerful enough to leave bruises and blood. He looked up and saw Mukuro walking over to him.

"I'm disappointed in you, Hiro Hamada," Mukuro chuckled, now standing above him. "This wasn't even my best trap. You let your heart overrule your mind when you assume a precious friend is in trouble. Just like what happened to your foolish father..."

"Gotcha!" Hiro grabbed his foot and shocked him with the full blast of his electro glove. To his horror, it didn't affect the criminal.

Mukuro shrugs off the electrical attack and proceeds to kick Hiro's stomach with his foot. Hiro howled in pain. His cries made Tadashi visibly flinched. Mukuro kicked Hiro again and again without mercy.

 _"Stop it...!"_ Hiro cried.

The ruthless criminal then stomped on Hiro's face with his foot, drawing blood.

"Do you know how long... I've been waiting to do this?" Mukuro whispered. "I would love to savor this more, but I don't want it to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Besides, I have other plans to take care of now that you've delivered the Izanami blueprints right into my hands."

Hiro coughed up more blood. He doesn't have enough strength to lift the heavy boot off his face.

"I think I'll kill you quickly, just to spare you more pain. I can be a nice man too."

Then out of nowhere, a laser-coated tonfa blade sliced through his chest. Mukuro gasped in audible pain. He turned his head and saw Tadashi standing behind him.

 _"Tadashi... you stabbed me...?"_ Mukuro growled.

"I finally got you, asshole," Tadashi said in a quiet, angry voice.

Hiro watched in surprise and confusion as Tadashi twisted his weapon deeper into Mukuro and thrown him aside with great strength. Tadashi pulled out more similar knives and threw them into his leader's body. And then his big brother pulled the finishing move: shoving his tonfa blade right into Mukuro's mask, stabbing deeper into the skull.

Tadashi panted heavily and kicked Mukuro's body. Mukuro, for some terrifying reason, was still barely alive.

 _"T-Tadashi, how could... you...!"_ Mukuro grunted. He couldn't even lift a finger. _"My own lieutenant!"_

"It's over, Mukuro!" Tadashi yelled at him. "Your evil life ends here! I've brought justice to you in the name of all the lives you've ruined and taken!"

Tadashi holds up the blueprints in one hand and a lighter in another.

 _"You... w-wouldn't dare!"_ Mukuro snarled.

"Your ambition ends here tonight, and Izanami will never be yours!" Tadashi announced. He flicks the lighter on and the flame quickly burns up the blueprints. Mukuro watched the embers get blown away by the wind.

Hiro couldn't believe what he's seeing. Tadashi was Mukuro's most trusted lieutenant and has killed lives for him; why is betraying the man he owed a debt to?

"Hiro..." Tadashi finally looked at his brother and pulled down the mask concealing his lower face. "I'm so sorry it took so long..."

Mukuro clenched his fists. _"When did you... start betraying me...?"_

"I was never on your side," Tadashi told him. "I've been planning to kill you ever since you kidnapped me. I only pretended to be loyal to you while I waited for an opportunity to strike."

 _"You think you can get away with this, Tadashi...?"_ Mukuro asked. _"You will regret this..."_

Tadashi grew tired of listening him speak and pushed the blade deeper with his boot. He thought he finally killed the man who ruined him but was shocked to see Mukuro's face suddenly split apart to reveal a robotic endoskeleton.

"W-what the hell?!" Tadashi screamed.

"I can't believe it!" Hiro gasped. "No wonder he's invincible... Mukuro is an android all along!"

"No, Hiro! This isn't the real him! I was tricked...!"

Tadashi's words were cut off and were replaced by a sudden gasp. Hiro's face paled at the horrifying sight in front of him.

One of the tonfa knives that were thrown earlier had cut though his abdomen and the blade poke out from his clothes, dripping with blood. Behind him, a male figure appeared after turning off his invisibility cloak.

 ** _"I forgive you, Tadashi,"_ ** Mukuro's cruel voice said, coming from behind Tadashi. **_"It's because... I never trusted you either."_**

He pulled back the knife and Tadashi collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain and disbelief. Hiro saw Mukuro is wearing the exact clothes of his android clone. Except he was unmasked.

"N-no... that's..." Hiro stammered. He was shaking all over.

"Impossible? Please, I've heard that line so many times," Dr. Daichi Ishioka glared at the teen after he tossed away the bloodied knife.


	21. Ishioka and Hamada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Ishioka reveals himself to be the evil leader of Shiragiku and his plans to dispose of the Hamada brothers. Flashbacks of his life resurface...

**Chapter 20**

_"Don't make a lot of noise. He's sensitive to loud sounds," Tomeo lowered his voice._

_He showed Ishioka a small bedroom with a wooden crib and sky-blue wallpaper. Snowflakes as white as cotton fall outside the window. It was almost Christmas. Lying on his back in the crib is a six-month-old baby boy sleeping peacefully. He has a patch of fluffy black hair on his head and his tiny chest rises in rhythm to his breathing._

_"This is Hiro," Tomeo said, casting a huge smile down at his youngest son. "He was born last June. Mae named him after my father."_

_"You must be so proud," Ishioka muttered in amazement. "He's rather small though."_

_"He was born premature, but he's still healthy."_

_"Premature, huh? Just like my Yasuo."_

_"I heard Yasuo had a bad fever a while back. Is he okay?" Tomeo stopped asked with concern._

_"He's alright now, the wife is taking care of him," Ishioka answered. He remembered how his little son kept him awake all night, worrying about him._

_"I'm so glad," Tomeo sighed, happy to hear it. "I would like to see your son too. Perhaps our boys will become friends when they get older."_

_Ishioka's face was unreadable. "That would be wonderful."_

_At that moment, five-year-old Tadashi entered the room. He was wearing a brand-new Christmas sweater knitted by Aunt Cass._

_"Dad," he called out in a low voice so not to disturb his baby brother. "Mommy wants you. She dropped something behind the stove."_

_"I'll be there," Tomeo told him. "Daichi, wait for me and then we'll talk in my study."_

_As soon as Tomeo left the room, Ishioka moved forward to stare down at Hiro's sleeping form. A sense of anger and resentment came over him. Another child made by Tomeo and the woman who seduced him? The thought made him want to spat in disgust._

_Ishioka held out a hand and moved it very close towards Hiro's face. He stopped inches above the baby, wondering if he could suffocate him and get away with it. Hiro, sensing danger, frowned and began to squirm. Ishioka heard low whimpers coming from Hiro and he hoped in silent fury that the baby will not cry._

_"Um..."_

_A tiny voice snapped Ishioka back to reality. Ishioka turned to see Tadashi and realized the young boy must have been watching him the entire time._

_"W-what are you doing?" Tadashi asked, his innocent eyes widened._

_"Oh, I was gonna touch your brother. Isn't he so cute?" Ishioka replied, feigning a sweet tone. His hand caressed gently over Hiro's head but the baby flinched from his touch._

_"Don't do that. You're scaring Hiro," Tadashi demanded, though he believed Dr. Ishioka's lie._

_Hiro's lips quivered and his face scrunched, ready to burst into tears. Tadashi hurried over and touched his brother's hand._

_"It's alright, Hiro. I'm here," Tadashi cooed as he comforted him. Hiro felt his big brother's familiar touch and he calmed down._

_Ishioka couldn't help but give Tadashi a dark smile. "You're a good brother, you know that? You know when your sibling needs you. I wonder... what would happen if you're not around to help him?"_

_Tadashi was too young to understand what Ishioka meant. But the tone of the man's voice frightened him._

_Ishioka felt a rough hand grabbed his shoulder; Tomeo has just returned after helping his wife. Despite his kind, worn face, there was a flash of anger in his eyes._

_"Will you come with me, Daichi?" Tomeo asked in a soft but dangerous tone. Ishioka knows he's trying to veil his anger. "Tadashi, stay here with your brother."_

_Ishioka followed Tomeo out the room. Ishioka spotted Tomeo's wife Mae and her sister Cass. They were fussing over the stove in the kitchen, but he ignored the two women._

_"For the sake of our old friendship, I'll overlook what you said to Tadashi," Tomeo spoke up when the two are out of earshot of his wife and sister-in-law. "But I won't have you scaring my sons. I know you're doing this to spite my choice to marry Mae."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about," Ishioka said, rolling his eyes._

_"We have known each other for a long time," Tomeo continued. "I even hid your secret without telling anyone."_

_Ishioka glared daggers at his friend._

_"I'm a changed man, Tomeo," he hissed._

_"So act like it... especially if you want to be Hiro's godfather."_

* * *

_" **HOW DARE YOU! ISHIOKA, YOU BASTARD!"**_

Hiro roared at the scientist, who had literally backstabbed Tadashi. All with a callous smirk.

**_"YOU WERE MY DAD'S FRIEND, I TRUSTED YOU!!"_ **

"It's strange how so many people you looked up to turned out to be less than perfect, isn't it?" Dr. Ishioka commented as he stepped over Tadashi's fallen body. "Callaghan, your brother, and now me... The irony is cruel."

Hiro could feel his boiling blood ready to burst from his skin. He had never hated anyone this much before tonight. Callaghan came very close, but now the old robotics professor became a distant memory to him. He wanted to rush over Ishioka and punched his face repeatedly into a pulp, except his legs weigh like a heavy iron.

"My feelings about Tadashi lately are complicated..." Hiro said, his entire body shaking. Tears ran down his cheeks. "But he's still my brother! I'll never forgive you for killing him!"

"Relax, he's alive." Ishioka motioned a hand towards Tadashi. The young man has fainted and was now lying in a pool of his own blood. Upon closer look, he was still breathing but it was rather faint. "I made sure not to hit any organs. There's a reason why I kept him alive a little longer..."

Hiro felt relieved for a moment, Tadashi isn't dead but he could die any moment without any immediate medical help. He could make a quick dive to retrieve his helmet and use the communicator to call Baymax.

All a sudden, a small robot in the form of a black daruma doll rolled right out under Ishioka's legs.

"What in the world..." he was about to finish his question when the darumabot released a huge cloud of black smoke. In his surprise, Ishioka's guard dropped and Tadashi

leaped back onto his feet. Despite the intense bleeding from the huge wound in his abdomen, there was shining ferocity in his eyes.

"Hiro!! Get out of here!" Tadashi yelled. "I'll hold him off while I'm still standing!"

"Tadashi, no!" Hiro screamed.

Before Hiro can run to his big brother, four mechanical tentacles with pincer claws snatched him. The pincers took hold of his arm and legs, preventing him from moving. Hiro glanced behind and saw a robotic spider around the size of a teenager stumbling out of the shadows.

"Where did _THIS_ come from?!" he demanded.

Tadashi was about to strike Ishioka's face. Yet, the nonchalant scientist dodged it and delivered a kick to his former lieutenant's side, right into his wound and ribs. Tadashi coughed out blood in pain. Before he could retaliate, Ishioka began pummeling his face with one punch after another. Not even stopping to allow Tadashi to catch his breath.

"You... are quite... a rude brat," Ishioka said between in each brutal punches. "I was... in the middle... of a conversation!"

On the last punch, Tadashi landed near a pile of junk only a few feet away from Hiro's helmet and microbots. Tadashi was still conscious but he could hardly move at all. His entire face covered in bruises and blood. He managed to sit up and reclined against a small mound of garbage supporting his back. Unfortunately, he was in no shape to fight again.

Hiro felt so helpless watching his brother beaten up without doing anything to help him. He tried to move his arms but the mechanical tentacles held onto him tighter. He checked the robot spider and realized it was a mini-mecha piloted a single person. Inside the mecha is a familiar short, round man wearing a colorful pinstriped suit.

"Guess who's back in business, kiddies~!!" he giggled.

"M... Mr. Sparkles?!" Hiro gasped. "I thought you were dead! Dr. Ishioka blew you up!"

"Silly boy, you ever heard of special effects?" Mr. Sparkles grinned as he piloted the mecha-spider closer to Hiro. "You also forgot that I happen to be a TV actor! I live for perfect acting! But I'll admit, I was surprised that Dr. Ishioka had decided to use a real bomb to make it look convincing... but I didn't suffer any serious wounds, so I was able to get back on my feet in two days!"

"Then..." Hiro tried to find his words. "What were you trying to gain by faking your death?"

"Simple... To find the real traitor of our organization," Mr. Sparkles replied in an ominous tone for dramatic effect. "The one who has been revealing bits of our plan to you and Stanwick for months. And tonight, we finally caught the dirty rat... and he's lying over there."

Hiro stared in shock at Tadashi, whose face is now so swollen he could only look at him with one eye. Hiro could not believe what he heard. The unknown agent working with Stanwick all this time and even hid his true identity from Stanwick and Abigail was Tadashi. When did he even first contacted Fred's dad? And on another important topic, why would he want to betray Shiragiku?

His train of questions got interrupted when Ishioka came right up to Tadashi and pressed his foot onto Tadashi's stab wound. Tadashi grunted, trying not to cry out in agony to give the evil scientist the satisfaction.

 _"STOP IT!"_ Hiro cried out in anger. _"He's already down!"_

"It was easy for Sparkles to disguise himself while pretending to be dead. He kept a close eye on every member of Shiragiku," Ishioka explained. Then he kicked Tadashi's face and Tadashi fell to his side. "And it's a shame for Tadashi... for all his training to become my best assassin, he couldn't even figure out he was being spied on. He was naive and foolish to end... just like your father Tomeo."

"So, you did kill my dad?!" Hiro demanded. "After all those times you worked together on a superhero team?!"

"He had to go... It was regrettable on my decision," Ishioka frowned. "He knew too much and would be a huge pain for my ultimate plans if I let him roam free any longer. I thought it was a fair trade off... A death of a father for another."

Hiro became confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a lovely tale of family secrets and revenge. But..." Ishioka stepped on Tadashi's chest. "I wasted enough time explaining unnecessary backstories."

Angered seeing his brother hurt again, Hiro screamed, _"You dirty scum! I'll kill you!!"_

"Yell and cry as much as you want. When I'm done with your big brother, you're next."

Ishioka grabbed Tadashi by his hair and forced his face upward so they can look at each other eye to eye.

"Don't die yet, Tadashi," Ishioka spoke in a feigned calm voice. "You are not punished enough. I can live with your poorly-executed betrayal, but I'm still displeased about you burning the blueprints for the Project Izanami... Nearly thirteen years of hard work and resources to get them have gone to waste... You can't imagine how furious I am feeling right now."

Tadashi didn't say anything but spat blood at Ishioka's face and gave him a defiant glare. Hiro saw Ishioka's eyes darken, full with intent to kill in cold blood. He knew he has to save his brother before it's too late.

"He didn't burn them! The blueprints I gave him are fake!" he shouted in desperation.

"H-Hiro... don't do this..." Tadashi begged, his voice now husky. "Stop... talking..."

"What's this, I hear?" Ishioka paused, raising a suspicious eyebrow. He released his grip on Tadashi and approached Hiro closer. "They're fake? And how do I know you aren't lying to save your brother's skin?"

Hiro continued, without waiting to catch his breath. "I know what the real blueprints look like and I remember its calculations, it schematics-- everything else in exact details! That's why Stanwick and I were able to make a fake copy that looked almost perfect but with hidden flaws!"

Tadashi, while wincing in pain from his injuries, was crawling toward Hiro's helmet while Ishioka and Mr. Sparkles have their eyes on Hiro.

Ishioka's lips formed into a sinister smile much to Hiro's confusion. "Hiro... you have told me exactly what I've been wanting to hear five minutes ago," he told him. "I don't have further use of the original blueprints anymore."

When Mr. Sparkles' robot released Hiro, Ishioka then grabbed the helpless teenager by the cuff of his suit, lifting him off from his feet.

"Why don't we go someplace cleaner?" he asked in a fake polite tone. "I want to know more about how much you know about the Izanami blueprints."

Hiro realized Ishioka tricked him. He struggled to free himself. "No, you won't take me!" he shouted.

Mr. Sparkles quickly knocked Hiro out with a sleeping gas spewed from one of his robot's tentacles. Hiro's body went limp and Ishioka threw him over his shoulder easily as though he were a ragdoll.

"That'll keep quiet for a few hours," Mr. Sparkles giggled. "Once he wakes up, he'll be in for a surprise when he finds out what he plans for you."

"Leave... my brother... ALONE!!"

Ishioka turned around at the moment of that last word. Tadashi had been struggling to pull himself back up to his feet. Using any remaining strength left in his body, he leaped towards Ishioka to tackle him. Unfortunately, Ishioka's solid light power knocked him away and render him unconscious.

"Now, what should we do about this rat, boss?" Mr. Sparkles asked.

"Get rid of him, but don't make it into a huge scene that would attract attention," Ishioka replied. He was already leaving without so much of a second glance to Tadashi. He glanced at Hiro's sleeping face, feeling victorious for the first time in many years. "And when you're done, round up the rest of the officers and continue with the plan.

Operation Warlord has already begun."

"Aye aye, Ishioka--I mean, Mukuro!" Mr. Sparkles corrected himself.

Using the robot tentacles, Mr. Sparkles lifted up Tadashi's body and dumped him inside the wooden trunk Tadashi had been sitting on earlier. Then Mr. Sparkles wrapped metal wires around the trunk to keep it shut tight and prevent Tadashi from escaping.

The spider-robot then left the trunk, carried it over to the docks near the junkyard, and dumped it into the bay. Mr. Sparkles waited for the trunk to sink into the dark waters, giggling of the traitor dying either from suffocation or drowning.

Then he pulled out a white chrysanthemum flower from his coat, still fresh, and threw it into the bay as well.

"Ta-ta, Tadashi~!" he said his farewell in a mocking tone.

* * *

**1976, in a rural town of Japan.**

A little boy, around five-years-old, absorbed himself into a book he found while he lay in the living room of his grandfather's home. It was after lunchtime and his grandfather sat on the floor, writing down papers of his research. Ito Ishioka, the grandfather, was babysitting his grandson while his daughter-in-law worked double shift at a hospital.

"Are you sure you want to read that boring thing instead of Green Eggs and Ham?" Ito asked him.

"No, I like this more," Daichi Ishioka replied. He had his eyes glued on the textbook filled with mathematical equations. Despite his young age, there was something mature and intelligent about him. Anyone who interacts with him would see that he can even talk as confident as an older kid.

Several minutes later, Daichi spoke up again. "Grampa, can I have a paper?" he asked.

Without asking questions, Ito gave his grandson a piece of blank paper. He watched with curiosity as Daichi began writing something on it.

Daichi then stood up and handed his grandfather the sheet of paper.

"Daichi..." Ito looked over the paper. "This is an answer to a complex theorem problem not even I could solve it! How long did it take you to figure this out?"

"Five minutes," Daichi shrugged.

"Five minutes?" his grandfather repeated in awe. "You really are a gifted child!"

"Am I smart enough to get into a higher grade yet, Gramps?" Daichi asked. "All the other kids in school are babies and I'm tired doing finger painting."

"But you just started your first kindergarten. Daichi, you're so impatient," Ito chuckled. "Wait in the next couple of years."

Daichi plopped down on the tatami again, pouting. Ito was still staring at his grandson. There is so much untapped potential to explore in Daichi. He feared that the boy would waste this gift if he did not get attend a higher grade level. Perhaps he will have a talk with the boy's mother later. The atmosphere returned to its normal, quiet routine until Daichi broke the silence.

"Grampa," he spoke up. "Tomorrow's my birthday."

Ito cast a brief glance at the calendar. "Oh, that's right!" he said. "What would you like to do tomorrow? We can go to the lake together and your mother can cook your favorites."

"Is dad coming tomorrow...?" Daichi asked in a quiet voice.

Ito paused and his body stiffened.

"Daichi... He hasn't returned in a year," Ito sighed, lips thinned with bitterness. He removed his round spectacles and rubbed his tired eyes. The mere mention of Daichi's missing father--Ito's son-- was enough to ruin a peaceful moment for the old man. "He dropped you here two years ago and never returned. You should forget about that lazy bum and think of your own future. You wanted to be an inventor like me, right?"

Daichi only has a few memories of his father. He was curious to know what he's like, but his grandfather refused to indulge information about him no matter how many times he asked.

Daichi had always wondered how his father would react to see how smart he was. He wanted to feel some pride in himself, but all he could feel was frustration at his missing father. As well as loneliness for being different compared to the other children.

"Grampa, is it wrong to be different than everyone...?" Daichi asked. "My teacher says it's unfair that if I keep showing off how smart I was. She said it would make the other kids appear dumb and feel bad about themselves."

Ito sensed his grandson's worries and placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. He looked at him straight in the eye.

"Daichi, there's nothing wrong be smarter than anyone else," he said. "You have an amazing brain, and with the right amount of work, you can help humanity... What you do with it will decide how you want others to treat you."

Daichi listened to his grandfather's words carefully. His tiny eyes then gazed over the papers on Ito's table.

"What is this, grampa?" he inquired.

"It isn't finished yet, but I'm creating a plan for an invention I wanted to make," Ito answered.  
"What are you gonna build?" Daichi became excited. He loved learning all kinds of scientific inventions his grandfather had made or will make. His mind will explode if it was a laser weapon.

"It's a machine that could change fate."

".... Fate?" Daichi paused, confused. "That's not science."

"Well, it doesn't sound impressive to you right now," Ito laughed. "But put it this way... Whenever we breathe, blink, or move around, it is automatic and executed without much conscious awareness. Even the stars and galaxies follow their own cosmic laws of cause and effect. All events, even quantum events, have a definite starting and ending point. But there is uncertainty about what happens between them.

"It’s impossible to ever know the exact location of a particle and its movement at the same time. But the slightest flexible interference can cause the small particles to behave differently. Meaning: our choices change outcomes.

"Daichi... I want to create a machine to enhance that flexibility to gain more control with our lives," Ito added. "People, even scientists like myself, fear the unknown and desire control over our own fate. Are you getting all this?"

"I think so..." Daichi replied, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"Come sit beside me, boy," Ito said, patting the spot beside him.

Daichi obeyed and sat next to his grandfather, who then stroked his hair.

"Long before you were born," Ito began his story, "I had a different life and a different family. My wife and children were beautiful and happy, but I was always busy with my work so I was never home most of the time. When the war broke out, I fled to America. I had to leave my family behind... The U.S. government promised me safety and security if I worked with them to build machines to help them in the war. I was thrilled to see my works acknowledged as magnificent weapons to be feared. I didn't care how many lives were destroyed...

"Near the end of the war, when my family was wiped out from the bomb that came down on Hiroshima... I realized it was my sins that indirectly caused their deaths, and I blinded by selfishness to appreciate them when were alive. I decided I will use my talents to never build another weapon to hurt someone but to improve people's lives.

"When I returned home, I remarried again and from second life came you... Even though I am happy and peaceful now, there are moments I wish I could go back and see my family again. This machine I'm planning is my biggest dream."

"G-grampa... that's so sad," Daichi whispered.

Ito smiled and hugged his grandson. Daichi then stood up and holds up his fists with determination.

"I'll help you, Grampa!" he shouted in a loud eager voice. "I'll help you build that machine you wanted!"

"Daichi, will you do that for me?" Ito asked, his eyes filled with tears.

"You're the smartest grampa I have!" Daichi replied with such gusto. "I will make your dream come true!"

Ito was quiet and he wiped his eyes. "You are a kind boy... When you become a little older, I want to take you with me to San Fransokyo, the most technological advanced city in America."

"San... Fransokyo?" Daichi repeated the word.

"I will put you in the best schools that will allow your intelligence and talents to grow. It is a perfect opportunity to use your gift to help society. I believe in that city is where your own fate begins."

* * *

**Current present.**

Tadashi immediately woke up when he felt he was being roughly rocked. He winced from the intense pain from his abdomen. He had lost of blood thanks to Ishioka stabbing him.

He found himself trapped inside the cramped trunk and heard water splashing. Tadashi realized to his horror that he was sinking down fast. He braced for impact when the trunk. The trunk didn't completely break but Tadashi could not push the lid open no matter how hard he tried. Every time he exerts pressure, the pain in his wound grew worse.

"Gimme a break," he muttered in an annoyed tone, as though this is a mild inconvenience for him. "I'm going to be in trouble if this thing starts leaking..."

Yet, his concerns of seawater leaking into the trunk are insignificant compared with fear for his little brother. Ishioka definitely took Hiro and is planning to torture information about the Izanami blueprints out from him. Tadashi began to feel sick and regret filled him.

He should have tried leaving the Shiragiku way earlier when he had the chance, or at least grab Hiro and run when the former came to the junkyard. Now that Shiragiku is getting closer to accomplishing their plans, Hiro and his friends are going to die.

"It's my fault," Tadashi spoke in a dead voice. Fresh, hot tears trickled down along his face. "I lied to my brother so I can fool Ishioka, but I couldn't even save him..."

After a couple of minutes of blaming himself in tears, Tadashi stopped when he realized there is one last thing he could do.

"I can't save Hiro... but there's someone else can," he said with renewed determination.

He remembered how he reached for Hiro's helmet earlier and pulled something out from it while Ishioka and Mr. Sparkles weren't watching. Tadashi pulled out the small object from his pocket with difficulty due to the tight, cramped space; it was a small communicator device.

* * *

Baymax has been standing outside the mansion, waiting for any calls of backup from Hiro. It has been nearly an hour since Hiro left and the caregiver robot was starting to worry. He even woke up the rest of Big Hero 6 to inform them of Hiro's departure.

"What was that bonehead thinking, running off without us?" Gogo ranted. She and the others are also standing around outside as well.

"Baymax said Tadashi wants to meet him alone," Honey told her. "And that he's taken Yasuo hostage."

"Aw man, we should've never allowed Yasuo to go home alone!" Wasabi cried.

"This is classic villain trick," Fred stated. "The villain takes the hero's loved one as a hostage to get the hero to surrender."

"We have to go out and find Hiro," Gogo announced. She puts on her helmet and started moving. "I can't sit around and wait for any bad news to arrive."

"We can't leave the mansion defenseless!" Fred stopped in front of her. "Maybe that is exactly what Shiragikue is planning. Use Hiro as bait to lure us into a trap before they go after the Izanami blueprints!"

"Fred, what you said makes a lot of sense, and I can't believe I said that... but Hiro is part of this team, and we don't abandon our team members," Gogo said. She turned to the robot. "Baymax, tell us where Hiro went."

"I am receiving an unknown call at the moment," Baymax said. "The reception is hard to understand, but I'll try to fix it in a moment."

"A call? Could it be from Hiro?" Honey asked.

Baymax played the call on loud speaker so everybody could hear it.

"... Anybody there?" a familiar voice cried out. "Baymax? Gogo? Please, answer this!"

"That voice!" Wasabi gasped. "That's Tadashi!"

"Wasabi, is that you?" Tadashi asked. "Thank god, I finally reached someone!"

"We all can hear you, Tadashi," Baymax said.

 _"Tadashi, you jerk!"_ Gogo yelled, wasting no time lashing out her anger. "Where's Hiro?! Baymax said you took Yasuo to get Hiro out to meet you!"

"Gogo--" Honey tried to calm her down.

"Stay out of this, Honey! I'm sick of you treating us like dirt, Tadashi! We will never forgive you if you hurt Hiro!"

There was silence on Tadashi's end. Everyone heard him sigh and when he spoke, there was sorrow in his tone.

"You're right... I treated you all like dirt... and I'm sorry," Tadashi apologized.

"Wait, what?" Fred dropped his jaw. "You're apologizing? This must be a weird dream I'm having! .... Except if this were a dream, it would've had include kaiju rampaging the city, and there would be cats wearing rocket boots."

"Listen!" Tadashi snapped. "Dr. Ishioka got Hiro and I don't know where he's taking him. Baymax, if you're listening, use your scanner to find Hiro. You must hurry!"

"Hold on!" Wasabi said, confused. "What's this about Dr. Ishioka taking Hiro? What's going on?"

"He's the leader of Shiragiku and the man who killed my father!" Tadashi replied. "He's the true identity of Mukuro!"

* * *

**1980, in San Fransokyo.**

Ten-year-old Daichi Ishioka was sitting inside an office at a police station. Due to his increased intelligence, he had skipped a lot of grades and will be the youngest to graduate from his high school. Unfortunately, he became a target of bullying, especially from his much older classmates.

One week before his graduation, bullies chased and tormented Daichi. In his panic, Daichi stole a principal's car with the keys still in the ignition. He didn't cause any accidents, but he was still arrested for carjacking.

Daichi was sitting in a chair by himself, while his grandfather was in the next room trying to contact his mother using a police officer's phone. Daichi could everything his grandfather was shouting.

"... What kind of mother are you?" Ito Ishioka angrily yelled into the phone. "Your son is in the police station and you won't come to see him? ... Yes, I know you're assisting in surgery in a few minutes, but your child is damn more important! ... Hey, don't hang up!"

The police officer who contacted Ito gave Daichi a sympathetic smile.

"Between you and me, kiddo, I'm impressed that you even learned how to drive a car," he told him. "You're pretty smart, you know that?"

Daichi didn't reply. He also didn't care if his mother did not bother to come and pick him up. When his high school graduation came, she wasn't there to celebrate with him. It was only him and his grandfather.

He didn't care at all. All he wanted was to invent cool robots and all kinds of machines that could impress people. Because no kid in his school can relate to him as a genius, Daichi soon developed a haughty, apathetic attitude to those who he sees as mediocre or average.

He missed his old hometown in Japan but a new start living in California excited him. He loved how modern the city looked in the earliest 1980s. He learned his grandfather's plan to build a college in the city that would encourage youths with huge minds to start a career in robotics. He would love to see it completed one day.

Daichi would spend his days taking apart and building toy robots and going through calculations from advanced mathematics in his grandfather's library while the professor is out doing lectures in universities. His hunger for ambition and new knowledge showed no signs of stopping.

One hot day after spending long hours at the library, Daichi entered the iron gates leading up the huge Japanese mansion belonging to his grandfather. He noticed a car parked nearby. He guessed his grandfather is having visitors at the moment.

He removed his shoes and stepped into his home. He searched for his grandfather and heard voices from Ito's office. Before he could knock and announce his presence, his grandfather's pleas behind the sliding screen stopped him.

 _"Why don't you look at this again?"_ Ito pleaded. _"Maybe I wasn't being clear... I could explain where I wasn't clear--"_

 _"There is no need,"_ a sharp male voice interrupted him. _"We heard enough, and we're still not interested."_

Daichi slowly slid the door open to peek inside. He saw his grandfather Ito Ishioka; small and thin for his old age, sporting a white well-trimmed beard and mustache. He has liver spots scattered from his left cheek to above his left eye. His dark eyes are full of wisdom and so much sorrow and disappointments. He had been growing bold lately so head covered up the top of his hat with a tweed flat cap.

Daichi saw his grandfather speaking to tall, imposing man in a dark suit and dark sunglasses. He appeared to be an important government official.

"Listen, Professor Ishioka," the official said. "The higher-ups and I are working to bring in several politicians, scientist, and well-known businessmen to create The Giri. Your involvement would benefit not only for the both of us but for the future of San Fransokyo. However... we are not interested creating any machines based on childish nonsense."

"But Project Izanami could help San Fransokyo!" Ito begged. "Just think of the possibilities..."

"Enough."

The official snatched Ito's papers, containing all notes on his precious dream invention. He crumpled into his fist much to Daichi's shock.

"Fantasy inventions are not welcomed to The Giri," he told the professor. "Do you understand?"

The official dropped the papers and smashed it under his feet. Ito could only stand there in silence, his face grim and his heart broken into pieces. Daichi had enough.

"STOP THAT!" Daichi burst into the room without warning.

The official was surprised when a ten-year-old boy shoved him away and grabbed the torn papers from the floor.

"That's my grandfather's work!" Daichi yelled at him, his eyes full of angry tears. "He worked so hard on this for a long time! How I'll never forgive you!"

A hand struck him across the face. The one who slapped him wasn't the government official.

 _ **"Daichi!"**_ Ito shouted in a stern tone. "Get up. Do not dishonor me."

The young boy slowly stood up, but he was still trembling. "But grandfather..."

"I did not ask you to stand up for me," Ito scolded him coldly. "You are too young and do understand anything yet. Leave the room."

"B-but your work... Izanami..." Daichi stammered.

"It's not going to happen, it's time to accept reality," Ito sighed. "Go now, Daichi."

Daichi, heart full of frustration and hate, marched out of the room and closed the screen behind him.

"You must forgive the boy," Ito spoke up again behind the screen. "He can have a short temper sometimes."

"I'm not offended," the official huffed. "So, that's the genius grandson you mentioned to us? I might have second thoughts about getting him into our program..."

Daichi didn't bother to stay and listen to the rest of the conversation. He was already out of the front gates of the Ishioka estate without looking back. His hands clenched into fists and swung back and forth as he walked down the busy streets of San Fransokyo.

Dark thoughts clouded his mind, he hated that official for looking down at his grandfather's genius invention. How could he be so narrow-minded to see the potential of Project Izanami?

Daichi cleared his thoughts when he realized he found himself already at the park. Feeling parched from the walking, he located the nearest water fountain. Before he could get to there, a tall kid ran him over with his bike. Daichi tumbled headfirst to the ground, his knee scraped against the pavement.

He didn't cry from the pain, but he was glaring daggers at the older boy. The older boy apologized and tried to help him up but Daichi refused his help. Daichi pulled up his pants and hissed when he saw how bloody his knee looked.

"That wound looks really bad, let's get it cleaned up before it gets infected," the boy said.

"I can take care of myself! Go away!" Daichi snapped, slapping his hand away.

Another boy, around Daichi's age, ran up to them. He has messy black hair and wears thick-framed glasses. There was a friendly look to him.

"Aiji, what happened?" he asked after seeing the blood in Daichi's knee.

"I accidentally hit him with my bike!" Aiji replied. He looked worried now. "Oh no, and I just got it! Now, dad is gonna take it away because I was reckless."  
Daichi limped over to a fountain near the playground where children can wash their feet after playing in the sandbox and mud. He washed the blood away from his knee. While he tries to think of a way to cover up the wound, Aiji's little brother came up to him and gave him a bandage.

"Here, this will help," he said.

Daichi, genuinely touched, thanked him. "What's your name?" he inquired. "I'm Daichi Ishioka."

The boy smiled wide, giving off a radiance of optimism and sweet innocence. For the first time so far in his life, Daichi felt a twinge of curiosity and desire to meet another person.

"My name's Tomeo Hamada."

That is how Daichi Ishioka and Tomeo Hamada first met and became friends.

* * *

**Current present.**

Horror and shock fell over the team as they tried to process Tadashi's words.

"Hey... y-you're kidding, right?" Wasabi asked. "There's no way Dr. Ishioka is a villain. I mean, he's the most influential modern scientist..."

"It's Callaghan all over again, I should have seen this coming," Fred groaned.

"What about Yasuo?" Honey asked. "Is he part of Shiargiku?"

"Yasuo... is complicated, but he's a good kid," Tadashi answered sincerely.

Meanwhile, on Tadashi's end, he heard a couple of popping sounds. He felt something wet hitting his legs and he froze in terror. Water had burst through tiny openings of the trunk. The trunk began to fill up with seawater at a rapid pace. Tadashi coughed out any that has splashed into his mouth. He could hear the communicator crackling, ready to die at any moment.

"We're running out of time!" Tadashi yelled. "Ishioka is planning to dispose of Hiro once he gets what he wants! You guys have to save him!"

"Where are you, Tadashi?" Baymax inquired urgently. "It appears you need urgent rescue."

"Forget about me! Hiro is more important! Just..." Tadashi paused, trying to find his words. "Tell Hiro when you save him... that I've always cherished him."

The Big Hero 6 team heard sounds of water moving and then Tadashi's communicator instantly died.

"Tadashi, no!" Honey screamed, her hands reaching for her mouth.

At that moment, they heard a loud explosion boomed in the distance. Everyone turned to see a trail of dark smoke in the sky and dark figures approaching the estate.

"Shiragiku is here already?" Fred gasped. "I thought they'd be here way later, they're too early!"

"How are we going to save Hiro now with those guys coming here?" Wasabi asked. "I don't think the security defenses is enough to hold them off for long!"

"I'll go save Hiro. And Tadashi too," Baymax said in a determined tone.

"Will you be okay, Baymax?" Gogo asked him.

"I am created to help people," he answered. "It's in my programming."

Baymax ejected his wings and zoomed into the sky like a rocket. From the ground, Yama's group spotted the robot flying away from the estate above their heads.

"Hey, where's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Reject going?" Yama spoke, puzzled. "He's not staying to fight his buddies?"

"Who cares about him? This would make our battle easier," Fujita smirked.

Gogo and the others stood in front of the lawn, facing the Shiragiku group which consists of Yama, the Fujitas, and the Banzai Brothers.

"Nice duds, Big Hero 6!" Yama boomed in his loud voice. "But I bet they're not strong enough to take down the Mighty Yama!"

Each of the four members of Big Hero 6 thought about the consequences of dying in this fight. Gogo thought of her older sister coming home to just their grandmother... Honey Lemon wondered if her parents will still divorce without her... Wasabi realized his sister Mirin might become a single child in the morning... and Fred knew will never get another chance of finding love...

All these fears and regrets hit the young heroes hard. It was soon changed to courage and hope. The criminals like Shiragiku are not going hurt the people they vowed to protect.

 **"LET'S GO, TEAM!"** Fred yelled. **"It's Big Hero Time!"**

The four members of Big Hero 6 roared, all pumped up and ready to go out in a blaze of glory. They dashed towards Shiragiku across the lawn. Yama and the others did the same thing too.

Time seemed to slow down and then both parties clashed.

* * *

Tadashi raised his mouth closer to the top of the trunk, but water is filling up the trunk faster than he can breathe. The water stung his wounds like cold knives. He failed to inhale one last gulp of air before he was completely submerged.

Now he's trapped, with only a couple of minutes left until he drowns.

He tried hitting the trunk to break it down but it didn't budge.

His vision was going black... It's too late for him now.

Tadashi's last thoughts were how it was ironic that he almost died from a blazing fire to actually dying in the cold water.

At least... when he finally meets his parents again, he can apologize to them for disappointing them...

The trunk began to move upwards as though something has grabbed it. Tadashi rocked back and forth, confused. Then something tore the trunk in half, spilling out the seawater and Tadashi fell on the ground of the harbor.

He was freed and alive.

As Tadashi coughed out the water, he looked up to see a familiar robot in red armor.

"B-Baymax!" his voice came out in a weak gasp. "What are you doing here...? Y-you're supposed to go save Hiro! Why did you save me!"

"You were in trouble, Tadashi. I had to help," Baymax replied. "And even though we are enemies, I cannot allow you to die."

"Baymax, I..."

"I'll take you to the hospital before I go save Hiro."

"No!" Tadashi tried to get up but his vision is blurring. He felt so weak due to losing so much blood. "Please... save my brother, Baymax. That's an order..."

"I cannot leave you here unattended," Baymax said. "You are in desperate need of an emergency."

"Don't worry," a soft voice spoke up behind them. "I'll watch over him."

Both Tadashi and Baymax looked around and saw someone walking out from behind a corner. It was Ishioka's timid son, Yasuo.

"Y-Yasuo? I thought you went home?" Tadashi asked. "How long were you here?"

Yasuo fidgeted. "I... I came back a few minutes ago... just in time to see my dad took Hiro away."

"Ugh!" Tadashi tried to get up, but he collapsed on the ground again due to the unbearable pain. His wound began to bleed again.

"Tadashi, you cannot pursue Ishioka in your current state," Baymax told him.

The wounded Hamada brother knew the robot is right and he must trust Baymax to rescue Hiro instead.

"Yasuo, do you have any idea where your dad might take Hiro?" Tadashi demanded. "Tell us quick!"

"I... I do," Yasuo nodded. "He's going to take him to his lab at Ishioka Industries main building. I heard him talking to that Mr. Sparkles man."

"He's planning to torture information out of Hiro then," Tadashi said. "We have to act now."

"I'll get him to the hospital, B-Baymax," Yasuo told the nursebot. "Go help, Hiro."

Baymax, seeing Tadashi is in good hands, flies off to find his friend. Yasuo went over to Tadashi; he stared in horror at the terrible the wound in his abdomen and the swelling of the bruises on Tadashi's bloodied face. He felt sick looking at them.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"For what?" Tadashi asked, trying to crack a smile to make Yasuo feel better. He felt ready to pass out in a few minutes. "For what your dad did to me? He had a bad aim, I don't think he hit any organs..."

Yasuo helped Tadashi up to his feet and pulled his arm around his shoulder to allow Tadashi to lean against him. Tadashi winced in pain as he clutched his wound.

"I'm in such a bad shape..." he muttered. He and Yasuo slowly made their way out the harbor. "Actually, I should be the one to apologize to you... Yasuo, your dad... He must be stopped."

Yasuo was quiet and Tadashi is unsure what the young boy is thinking. A small part of him hopes Yasuo will not bear any grudge against him or Hiro.

* * *

**1983, San Fransokyo.**

Daichi graduated college at the age of thirteen as the youngest student of the entire school. His teachers loved him while his fellow classmates praise him. He was both a child prodigy and a role model: intelligent, charismatic, and hardworking. He introduced his first invention, a hydro-powered flashlight, in a science fair and won a huge award for it. Many engineering and research programs wanted to have him, but Daichi saw none that looked interesting for him at the moment.

He preferred to spend a couple of years hanging out with his dearest friend Tomeo Hamada.

Daichi and Tomeo were thick as thieves and the two were rarely apart from one another. The two young boys were both smart, though Daichi was far more than Tomeo, and they see each other as equals. They both share the same interests in music and they loved discussing sci-fi movies with one another into the late evening.

Daichi got to meet Tomeo's family when he was invited to dinner by Tomeo. Tomeo's parents moved to San Fransokyo after they got married and are running a small noodle restaurant, and they lived in a small flat above the restaurant. Tomeo's father, Hirofumi Hamada, seemed rather strict and has traditional views on family and career, but he treated Daichi kindly. Tomeo's mother is a quiet housewife who sometimes helps with the restaurant. Tomeo has only one sibling, his brother Aiji who is only older by five years.

"How old are you, Daichi, and what school did you go to?" Mr. Hamada asked him across the table. Daichi and the Hamada family are sitting around an old table in a tiny room. The walls needed a fresh paint and a tiny window is open to let the cool evening wind blow in.

"I'm thirteen, and I've graduated college two months ago," Daichi answered as politely as he can.

"Wow, you're so young and smart!" Mrs. Hamada exclaimed. "You must be studying to become a doctor!"

"No, I wanted to become an inventor like my grandfather," Daichi replied.

"An inventor of what?" Mr. Hamada questioned. "That doesn't sound impressive. Daichi here says he wants to become a medical doctor..."

Daichi blushed with pride but he didn't say anything since his mouth is full of rice.

"... And Aiji will be finishing his last year of high school. I hope when he graduates, he'll help me running the restaurant."

Aiji coughed a bit under his breath but Daichi could plainly see the older boy didn't seem interested in his father's words.

As soon both Daichi and Tomeo finished with their dinner, they got up together.

"I'll be going out with Daichi, dad," Tomeo told him. "We're going to the movies."

"On a school night?" Mr. Hamada said, raising an eyebrow.

"We won't stay out very late and I'm going to study later... If that's okay with you."

"I want to go to the movies too! I haven't been to one in a year!" Aiji whined.

"Finish your food, Aiji," Mr. Hamada snapped. "You're not going to the movies until you finish with your school."

"How come Tomeo gets to go?" Aiji complained. "He hasn't graduated from high school either!"

"Yes, but he's the top of his class and he's diligent with his studies. If you had been smarter and didn't repeat a year, I would allow you to go."

Aiji became angry. "That's not fair! Not anyone can be smart!"

Mrs. Hamada, embarrassed by the shouting match between her son and her husband, quietly led Tomeo and Daichi out the room.

"Do not worry, things will be well between them," she told them. "My husband really does care for the well-being of his children."

When Tomeo kissed his mother good-bye, Daichi couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed at the sentiment as well a bit nervous of the troubled looks Mrs. Hamada is giving him.

"Why does she keep staring at me like that?" Daichi asked Tomeo about it as soon they left.

Tomeo appeared reluctant to tell him. "Er... Mom told me about it before dinner. Ever since she was a child, she has a strange way of seeing things that other people don't," he explained. "It makes her superstitious."

"What is it about my face that she saw?"

"Oh, it's not your face she was staring at," Tomeo said, shaking his head. "She was staring at your hands. She said they were red like blood... She believes you might be cursed or something bad will happen."

Daichi laughed. "You're right, she is being superstitious!"

Hours later, Daichi and Tomeo are hanging out in the former's bedroom. They had returned to the Daichi's home after the movies. The two boys are discussing the movie they have watched as they lie around on the tatami. Tomeo's schoolwork papers spread around so Daichi can help tutor his friend. On the walls are posters of their favorite bands Queen, AC/DC and Guns N' Roses.

"Return of the Jedi is the best movie of the year," Tomeo babbled. "That scene where Darth Vader redeems himself to save his son... I shed manly tears."

"The movie's really good, but it could have been better without the Ewoks," Daichi shrugged. He was grinning as well. "I still think Empire Strikes Back is far superior."

Daichi then changed the topic.

"Your father has pretty high standards, doesn't he?" Daichi muttered to Tomeo. "When it comes to being good in school."

"Well, he stopped going to school when he was a teenager," Tomeo replied. "He only wants us to do our best and not become like him."

"He seemed proud that you're studying to become a doctor."

Tomeo was silent, wearing an expression of disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Daichi asked, putting down a paper.

Tomeo sighed and rubbed his arm. "He's been asking me if I should also help him out in his restaurant after I graduate high school. He says he can't afford to send me to college..."

"Wait, what? That's not fair!" Daichi shouted so loud which made Tomeo jump. "You're gonna waste away your brains to work in a crappy noodle restaurant?"

"Come on, Daichi. I'm upset too, but my family comes first," Tomeo said. "I'm sorry, but what I plan to do after I finished school isn't none of your business..."

They heard a loud crash downstairs. The two boys rushed to the kitchen and found Professor Ito Ishioka, unconscious, sprawled across the floor. Broken pieces of a glass cup and a straw scattered all over a pool of water. The refrigerator door was open.

 ** _"Grampa!"_** Daichi screamed in horror as he rushed over to him. "Grampa, wake up! He's not breathing!"

"Move aside!" Tomeo yelled. He immediately checked for any breathing. "This is bad... Daichi, call 911!"

Daichi ran out of the room to get to the phone. He recalled Tomeo telling him how Mrs. Hamada saw his hands red and bloody... Was it because she somehow senses something terrible will happen to his grandfather?

Better yet, was fate telling him that his grandfather will die tonight?

Meanwhile, Tomeo tried performed a CPR several times, but he couldn't even get the old man to cough. Tomeo noticed Ito's face turning bluer and he realized by the time the paramedics arrived it would be too late save him. He remembered a certain emergency procedure he read in a medical textbook. He felt nervous attempting it, but he must do what he can to save Daichi's grandfather.

Tomeo pulled out a small leather bag full of a few medical tools--a gift from his mother for this thirteen birthday--and took out a small knife. He doesn't bother sterilizing his knife; infection is the least of his worries at this point. He managed to find the indentation between Ito's Adam apple and the Cricoid cartilage.

Daichi returned to the kitchen. "What are you...?"

"Hand me that straw lying there, Daichi," Tomeo said in a calm voice. "Let's hope this works..."

Tomeo carefully made an incision about one-half inch deep and inserted his finger inside the slit to open it. Daichi watched his friend inserted the straw into the incision. Tomeo breathes into the straw with two quick breaths.

He paused for five seconds, then gave one breath every five seconds.

Soon, Ito's chest is rising.

"He's... he's breathing again, that's good," Tomeo said. He was shaking all over but he could finally catch his breath.

"Tomeo, thank you," Daichi smiled. He was so glad to see his grandfather saved. "That was amazing."

"I was only lucky," Tomeo muttered. He looked down at his bloodied fingers. "That was my first try, and I would have botched it..."

"You still kept a cool head, though," Daichi told him. Then the two boys heard the ambulance sirens outside.

Daichi finished, "You're gonna be a good doctor, one day."

Tomeo could only smile at him.

After Ito Ishioka discharged from the hospital, the old professor thanked Tomeo for saving his life and was impressed to learn how he performed his first tracheotomy without messing it up.

After that incident, Daichi and Tomeo became closer than ever. Daichi now believed it was fate that brought Tomeo to his life so he could save his grandfather.

On another night when Tomeo came over to study again, the sliding door to Daichi's room opened and two people entered inside. One of them is Daichi's grandfather and the other is a tall man wearing aviator sunglasses and neat mustache under his nose.

"Daichi, I'm glad you're home!" Ito exclaimed. "This man here is Stanwick Lebur. He's the friend I told you about him yesterday, and he wants to speak to you. Stanwick, this is my grandson and this his friend Tomeo--the one who saved my life."

Daichi looked the Stanwick and examined him. Even though Stanwick appears polite and friendly, Daichi secretly decided that he didn't like him.

"Are you trying to get me to apply for a career at some engineering company, Mr. Lebur?" Daichi asked.

"No, nothing like that. Also, call me Stanwick Lee-- it's more hip."

Daichi also decided that this man is too odd for him to like. "... Mr. Lee, what bring you here?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now, Daichi. Same for you, Tomeo Hamada," Stanwick commented. "I'm here on the behalf of The Giri."

"The Giri? What's that?" Tomeo asked.

Stanwick answered, "It's a group of important people who had their eyes on your friend Daichi because they believe he has the potential."

"Potential? For what?" Daichi demanded.

"That's what I'm here to discuss... The Ronin Rangers Initiative."

* * *

**Current present.**

A black fancy car drove up to a tall building which happens to be the main location of Ishioka Industries. High on the top floors is a huge laboratory where only Dr. Ishioka and special visitors have access to. The whole building is empty and it would be another few hours until the early employees arrive.

The car stopped and Dr. Ishioka stepped out of the car. Mr. Sparkles was in the driver's seat.

"You want me to come up with you?" he asked.

"Stay somewhere close to the lab," Ishioka ordered. "Big Hero 6 might send someone to rescue Hiro and I'll need you to keep them busy."

"You got it, boss~!"

Ishioka pulled Hiro's unconscious body out from the backseat carried him over his shoulder. While Mr. Sparkles goes to park the care, Ishioka headed to a secret elevator located at the back of the building. A security guard spot Dr. Ishioka, in his Mukuro attire and carrying a young boy, enter. Rather than calling the police, he allowed his boss to enter the facility. The security guard was also a member of Shiragiku.

As he stepped into the elevator, Ishioka could feel Hiro stirring a little. He was ready to knock Hiro out again but the boy didn't awaken yet. Ishioka smiled to himself when the elevator reached the top floor.

He hurried down a wide hallway which leads to a room guarded by steel door locked by an electronic device. He used a special keycard to open the steel doors.  
Ishioka stepped into his huge laboratory, which is not as cluttered compared to his other one back in the basement of his home. But this place has enough security measures to prevent anyone coming in to rescue Hiro.

After removing the padded armor pieces of Hiro's suit by force, Ishioka carried Hiro to a leather chair and strapped him in place. Hiro's eyes fluttered open and realized he's no longer at the junkyard.

"You--!" he yelled. He tried to attack the scientist but the straps held him down tight. "Ishioka, where am I?!"

"I have given you a free pass to this my most private lab above one of the many locations of Ishioka Industries," Ishioka replied with a smug smile. "You should enjoy this, Hiro. Few people your age are rarely allowed up here."

"Enjoy this? You stabbed my brother!" the teen genius screamed. "And you tricked me all along!"

"I also wouldn't waste your energy yelling, Hiro," Ishioka added. "You don't seem to understand the dire situation you're in."

Hiro glanced around the room, terrified at how threatening and unknown the technology appeared. He even noticed the chair he's strapped to is inside a metal chamber with a strange headset device hanging above him. Sinister red light shines inside the chamber and Hiro could feel his heart pounding in fear.

"What are you planning to do with me?" Hiro demanded, trying to keep his voice as calm as he can. He checked his hands and saw he was still wearing his electromagnetic gloves. Ishioka hasn't removed them.

"You ever heard of a brain scan, Hiro?" Ishioka asked him. While he was talking, he began to activate the machine and switched on his computer. "This machine is what's left of the Izanami Project twelve years ago I had to force to abandon years ago. The headset will scan your mind, and then copy any knowledge it learned in the last twenty-four hours onto my computer. The process is quite painful and could potentially melt your brains..."

Ishioka grinned wider when he saw Hiro's face turned pale.

"I was going to join my officers to attack Stanwick Lee's home to retrieve the real blueprints... but you have made my job easier, Hiro," he told him. "I always knew you'd be useful to me."

"Why do you want to kill me so bad?" Hiro demanded. He was hoping he could stall Ishioka long enough until his teammates come to his rescue. "I'm more useful to you alive than dead."

"Because you are Tomeo's son," Ishioka replied, indifferent. "You are the child of the cruel man who broke my heart."

Hiro paused, trying to process what the scientist had said. "... What?"

The machines began whirring awake but nothing has activated yet. Ishioka removed his dark gloves and long coat to get himself comfortable.

"Before you die, I suppose I will allow you one story about what exactly happened twenty-eight years ago... when Ronin Rangers thought they stopped Mukuro for good," he commented.

"That was still you back then, right?" Hiro questioned. "You were always Mukuro... from the beginning. You fooled your own teammates."

Ishioka rolled his eyes. "The Mukuro back then was ruthless and feared... except, he wasn't me."

At first shocked, it took Hiro a while to regain his thoughts. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"The original Mukuro has been dead for a long time. Your father killed him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I have no excuse why this took long to update this. On a brighter side this story is nearing its end.))

**Author's Note:**

> ((Hello again! I'm back writing another major bh6 fic, this time a sequel after the movie. I’ll probably be writing and updating two-three chapters a month in case I don't get burned out.
> 
> Note: This story will have many ocs but I promise not to use so many.))


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